All photos via Wikimedia Commons
Throughout eight years of bitter partisanship from Republicans, including nearly a year-long refusal to confirm Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland, the GOP made it clear they weren’t willing to give an inch to Democrats. Now, the tables have turned, as President Trump has nominated Neil Gorsuch, but the GOP is still shy of the 60 votes needed to confirm the appointment.
And while many hoped the Democratic minority could delay the process through a filibuster, reports indicate that the Republicans Congress will “go nuclear” if necessary and eliminate the option by proposing a majority vote, effectively guaranteeing Gorsuch’s nomination. Republicans view Gorsuch as a conservative in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia; the New York Times lists only Clarence Thomas as a more conservative justice. Gorsuch has been reliably conservative on issues as varied as labor, abortion, and LGBTQ rights. His staunchly right wing ideology makes him even less appealing to a Democrats still sore that Garland wasn’t confirmed.
So far, four Democratic Senators have broken ranks and come out in support of Gorsuch: Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Joe…