US Senate Republicans Threaten Rule-Change if Dems Veto Supreme Court Pick

Failure to pick up eight Democrats in the US Senate to approve Judge Neil Gorsuch’ nomination to the US Supreme Court would force Republicans to change Senate rules, allowing a simple majority in the 100-member chamber to confirm Gorsuch, Senator Lindsey Graham said in an interview on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Under present Senate rules, a 60-vote supermajority is needed to confirm a Supreme Court justice. However, a 52-seat majority offers Republicans the option of changing the rules to allow confirmation with a simple majority.

"If we don’t get 60 then the Republicans will be forced to change the rules," Graham told Fox News.

Graham noted that he voted for two of former President Barack Obama’s high-court nominees, Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

"I’m hoping my Democratic colleagues will look at Judge Gorsuch the way I looked at Sotomayor and Kagan," Graham said. "I would not have chosen them, but they were qualified. That’s why I voted for President Obama’s picks."

Later on Wednesday Gorsuch will spend his third day before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Democrats this week have unsuccessfully pressed Gorsuch to discuss politics and Gorsuch has repeatedly stated that judges are above politics and simply responsible for determining whether laws passed by Congress are consistent with the US Constitution.