UPDATE April 4, 2017: Victory! This morning, the U.S. Senate voted 54-45 to confirm Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court after having employed the “nuclear option” yesterday. Thank you to all who called their Senators on this important vote.

By Cheryl Sullenger
Washington, DC – The drama over the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court heats up today, as the Republicans attempt to override a filibuster by the Democrats, with the “Nuclear Option” on the table.
Republicans need 60 votes to halt the filibuster, but the Democrats say they have enough votes to make that difficult, if not impossible. In that case, it would force Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to employ a series of parliamentary maneuvers to change the Senate rules to allow for a simple majority – 51 votes – to end the filibuster. This is known as the “Nuclear Option,” and is viewed as a drastic measure that could forever change the way Supreme Court nominees are confirmed.
Once the filibuster is halted, the Senate will launch into a 30-hour debate on Gorsuch’s nomination that is expected to end sometime late Friday with a final confirmation vote.
“I thank Pres. Donald Trump for nominating a man of such stellar credentials for the Supreme Court. I urge Democrats to put aside their animosity and come together to confirm Neil Gorsuch without forcing the Republicans to change the rules,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
If confirmed, Gorsuch would replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
Trump had promised during his presidential campaign that he would nominate conservative pro-life justices to the Supreme Court. His nomination of Gorsuch is considered a fulfillment of that promise.
“This is a critical vote that could have a deep effect on the matter of abortion in the future. It is imperative that everyone contact their senators now and urge them to confirm Gorsuch to the Supreme Court,” said Newman.
Contact your senator now.
Watch live on C-Span 2.