Trump Meets With Egyptian President As Supreme Court Showdown Looms

WASHINGTON (CBSNewYork) -- President Trump welcomed Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to the White House Monday.

The two men spoke about battling ISIS.

"We will fight terrorism and other things," Trump said Monday. "We're going to be friends for a long, long period of time."

Former President Barack Obama was a sharp critic of Egypt's human rights record, and never invited el-Sisi to the White House.

But as CBS2's Dick Brennan reports, the current president sees an opportunity to repair ties with one of the closest United States allies in the region.

Meanwhile, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner touched down in Iraq, cementing a prominent role in the administration's foreign policy. He was joined by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

"Jared is going to specifically express the commitment of the United States to the Iraqi government," White House Spokesman Sean Spicer said during his daily press briefing Monday.

On Capitol Hill, the Senate Judiciary Committee moved Judge Neil Gorsuch one step closer to becoming the next Supreme Court justice, but also one step closer to a showdown on the Senate floor.

"A partisan, party line vote in the committee is sad," Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb) said Monday, "but it's a reflection on the brokenness in the US Senate, not any problem with Judge Gorsuch."

Democrats say they will filibuster the vote, and it appears Republicans will respond with the so-called "nuclear option." They will change the rules so instead of needing 60 votes for confirmation, Gorsuch will only need a simple majority.

"We're headed to a world where you don't need one vote from the other side to get him passed," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said. "That means the nominees will be more partisan, not less."

The president is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Thursday. He's also sitting down with King Abdullah of Jordan on Wednesday.