Debate is continuing on the Senate floor over Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.
Senator Jeff Merkely is delivering a speech that has several hours, in an attempt to draw attention to the debate and the nomination. The speech is not a filibuster, according to the Associated Press.
More than 40 Democrats have said they will vote against the nomination, leaving it vulnerable to a filibuster, which has increased the likelihood of the GOP and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell triggering the “nuclear option.” The phrase refers to changing Senate rules to confirm Gorsuch with a majority of 51 votes, instead of the current 60 needed to break a filibuster.
The vote on Gorsuch’s fate is expected on Friday. Watch the debate live, above.
- TIME's Top 100 Photos of 2021
- Inside Frances Haugen's Decision to Take on Facebook
- Why We Should Stop Freaking Out About Inflation
- Austria's Plan to Make COVID-19 Vaccines Compulsory Is Dividing Citizens — and Experts
- Inside the 80-Year Quest to Name Pearl Harbor's Unknown Victims
- Buying a House Feels Impossible These Days. Here Are 6 Innovative Paths to Homeownership
- 'They're Very Close.' U.S. General Says Iran Is Nearly Able to Build a Nuclear Weapon
- A Charter School's Racial Controversy Reveals the Real Battle For America's Classrooms
