"He will have to earn 60 votes for confirmation,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Thursday, referring to the threshold for ending a filibuster and preventing the minority party from blocking the confirmation. Republicans, who hold 52 seats in the upper chamber, have the option of changing Senate rules so that a filibuster can be ended with a simple majority vote. But on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed doubt that any Democrats would vote to confirm Gorsuch, a strong signal the Kentucky Republican is ready to change the rule. “It does sound like he’s laying the groundwork for the nuclear option,” Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin said of McConnell. But Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who is up for re-election in 2018, said Thursday he would not vote for Gorsuch.

Source: Fox News March 23, 2017 17:03 UTC