Trump Made His Supreme Court Pick. Now What? 5 Steps To Confirmation

[Wingnut]

anuary 31, 201710:36 AM ET
Ailsa Chang, 2013



Trump's pick of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia sets in motion a confirmation process that is expected to drag out for at least two to three months, if not longer. Republicans say the duration of what is expected to be a bitter partisan fight will depend entirely on how obstructionist Democrats choose to be. Democrats say the timing depends on how reasonable, or "mainstream," Trump's pick is.

Gorsuch has sterling legal credentials, but Democrats are already picking apart some of his more controversial decisions and promising a fight.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley has said he expects the new justice to be sworn in sometime in April. But that's if everything goes smoothly.

Two questions will determine the pace of the process: Will Senate Democrats seek to block the confirmation, and if so, what is Plan B for Senate Republicans?

To be confirmed to the Supreme Court, President Trump's nominee has to pass a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee and in the full Senate.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

"The Senate should respect the result of the election and treat this newly elected president's nominee in the same way that nominees of newly elected presidents have been treated," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on the floor Monday, already gearing up for the battle. "And that is with careful consideration, followed by an up-or-down vote."

McConnell pointed to two examples under Democratic presidents.

"We had two nominations in the first term of President Clinton — [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg and [Stephen] Breyer," said McConnell. "Both got up-or-down votes. There was no filibuster. We had two nominations in the first term of President Obama — [Sonia] Sotomayor and [Elena] Kagan. No filibuster. Up-or-down vote. First-term president."

Here are five basic steps to get a Supreme Court justice confirmed:

http://www.npr.org/2017/01/31/512629596/here-is-what-it-takes-to-confirm-a-supreme-court-nominee

[corbe]

   Wasn't aware about Collins.

From the article.

When former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the nuclear option in 2013 — and changed the Senate rules so it would take only a bare majority of senators to confirm all nominees except Supreme Court picks — Republicans were furious. They called Reid's move foolhardy, pointing out that one day Democrats would suffer the consequences of the rules change when they end up in the Senate minority with a Republican in the White House.

That day has arrived. And now Republicans potentially have the power to further change the rules so the minority can't even block a Supreme Court nominee.

However, it takes 51 votes in the Senate to employ the nuclear option. And Republicans may not have the votes. Already one Republican — Susan Collins of Maine — says don't count on her vote.

"I am not a proponent of changing the rules of the Senate," said Collins on Monday evening. "I hope that common sense will prevail and that we will have a normal process for considering this nominee."

Vice President Pence could supply the 51st vote for Republicans to invoke the nuclear option. But without Collins on board, Republicans can lose only one more vote.