Watch Live: The Senate Votes to Confirm Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch

1 minute read
Senate Holds Confirmation Hearing For Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch
Judge Neil Gorsuch testifies during the third day of his Supreme Court confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, March 22, 2017 in Washington. Gorsuch was nominated by President Donald Trump to fill the vacancy left on the court by the February 2016 death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)Justin Sullivan—Getty Images
By Maya Rhodan

After Republicans in the Senate voted to end the Democratic filibuster to stop President Donald Trump‘s Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, lawmakers are expected to confirm the conservative judge in a Friday morning vote.

Now that Senators have invoked the so-called nuclear option, the 52 seats Republicans hold in the upper chamber will be enough to secure his confirmation. Given the support Gorsuch has from three red state Democrats, he is all but certain to clear the Senate.

Many lawmakers considered this week a turning point for the Senate. The Democratic challenge was the first-ever partisan filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee. And the decision to change the rules so only a majority of votes are needed to secure a lifetime position on the Court is a “slippery slope,” Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain said.

The vote is expected to start at about 11:30 a.m. E.T. You can watch it live above.

 

More Must-Reads from TIME

Contact us at letters@time.com