President Donald Trump on Wednesday urged Senate Republicans to “go nuclear” and impose a rule change to force a simple majority vote on confirmation if Democrats block his US Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, as Democrats manoeuvred for a hard fight. The president urged McConnell to change long-standing Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, a move dubbed the “nuclear option,” if Democrats block Gorsuch. Supreme Court nominations require Senate confirmation. Some Democratic senators, arguing that Republicans stole a Supreme Court seat from Obama, announced their opposition to Gorsuch, while others said they were willing to hear him out. Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who met with the nominee on Wednesday, said a Supreme Court nominee should have to win the support of 60 senators but urged fellow Democrats to give Gorsuch a chance.

Source: Hindustan Times February 02, 2017 05:32 UTC