Sen. Richard Blumenthal said Monday he plans to use “every tool” at his disposal to oppose the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, if Mr. Blumenthal concludes that Judge Gorsuch is outside the “mainstream.”
“If he’s out of the mainstream, I will not only vote against him - I’ll use every tool at my disposal, including filibuster,” Mr. Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“It’s not just a matter of 60 votes to block a nominee. I think a nominee to the United States Supreme Court ought to be approved [overwhelmingly] - not by a razor-thin margin,” he said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, of which Mr. Blumenthal is a member, is holding a hearing to consider Judge Gorsuch’s nomination on Monday to officially kick-start the confirmation process.
Republicans will have to attract some bipartisan support in order to confirm Judge Gorsuch without triggering the “nuclear option,” which would allow him to be confirmed by a simple majority vote.
Republicans hold an effective 52-48 majority in the Senate, and it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster on Supreme Court picks.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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