The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 11 to 9 this morning to advance Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the full Senate. That vote split down party lines, much as the full Senate vote is likely to split as well.

That puts the Senate on track for a messy filibuster showdown and a heated debate in the days ahead. Here’s what you can expect.

Senate Republicans had enough votes to get Gorsuch easily through the Judiciary Committee, but they’ll need eight Democrats to join their ranks if they want to approve Gorsuch without a filibuster. Under Senate practice, Democrats could prevent the vote from advancing if there are fewer than 60 votes to close the debate. With 41 Democrats having said they will oppose Gorsuch’s nomination, the Senate Dems have enough votes to sustain a filibuster against the nominee.

If the Democrats do filibuster, it is likely that the Senate Republicans would exercise what’s known as the “nuclear option,” changing the Senate precedent so that Supreme Court Justices can be appointed by a simple majority vote.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell does not seem hesitant about “going nuclear.” He has pledged that Gorsuch will be confirmed on Friday, before the Senate recesses – filibuster be damned.

Today Is Just the Beginning – but Friday Will Likely Be the End

Both a filibuster and exercising the nuclear option would be unprecedented. No nominee for associate justice has been filibustered before – though one might count the refusal to consider Merrick Garland as a similar tactic – while simple majority approval of Supreme Court justices would be a major shift in Senate precedent.

For this reason, some Democrats are worried about the impacts of a filibuster. If the nuclear option is exercised, President Trump or any future president will have a much easier shot at getting controversial SCOTUS nominees through the Senate – and when it comes to preserving the balance of power on the Supreme Court, the biggest battles lay ahead.

Should Democrats successfully filibuster, by voting no on a cloture vote meant to end debate, Republicans would then need to decide whether to change Senate procedure. If they do, a second cloture vote will be required, with only 51 votes needed to pass. Only then will the Senate be able to confirm Gorsuch by a majority vote.

Whatever happens, there’s sure to be a contentious fight in the Senate in the days ahead. Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and the Senate’s longest serving member, showed just how harsh things might get. Speaking this morning, he accused the Judiciary Committee of being “nothing more than a partisan rubber stamp” and suggested that Republicans were willing to change the rules for Gorsuch “even if that means forever damaging the United States Senate.”

Related Resources:

  • Highlights From Day 1 of Gorsuch’s Confirmation Hearing (FindLaw’s U.S. Supreme Court Blog)
  • Filibusters, Cheerleaders, Special Ed. and More: SCOTUS This Week (FindLaw’s U.S. Supreme Court Blog)
  • As Gorsuch Testifies, the Supreme Court Overrules Him (FindLaw’s U.S. Supreme Court Blog)

You Don’t Have To Solve This on Your Own – Get a Lawyer’s Help

Civil Rights

Block on Trump’s Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court

Criminal

Judges Can Release Secret Grand Jury Records

Politicians Can’t Block Voters on Facebook, Court Rules