Spicer: Democratic Senators Setting ‘Very Dangerous Precedent’ by Blocking Gorsuch

Sean Spicer: “Democrats are setting a very dangerous precedent” by planning to filibuster the Neil Gorsuch vote https://t.co/zrONsY1S0R

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 3, 2017

During his Monday’s press briefing, Sean Spicer expressed the White House’s disappointment that Senate Democrats intend to filibuster Neil Gorsuch‘s nomination to the Supreme Court.

“I think Democrats are setting a very dangerous precedent when it comes to how they want to do this,” Spicer said. “This isn’t about voting against somebody or having an issue with them. It is literally trying to stop using the filibuster for something it was never intended for. Nor has it ever been the principle we would vote down somebody that was qualified.”

Democratic senators have enough votes to put their planned block into effect, which may prompt Republicans to resort to a “nuclear option” by changing Senate rules and forcing a simple-majority vote on Gorsuch. The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Gorsuch to a full Senate vote for later this week, but for today, Spicer bemoaned Democrats for their “partisan obstruction” over the Court.

During the briefing, Spicer said that President Trump would support Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell if he invokes the nuclear option to confirm Gorsuch. Earlier on Capitol Hill, several Republican senators held a joint press event where they condemned their Democratic colleagues and said their votes were based on partisanship and not on the merits.

Watch above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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