Toomey says he’d back Senate rule change to confirm Gorsuch
In this April 12, 2016 file photo, Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa. speaks to reporters outside his office on Capitol Hill, in Washington. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo, File)
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania says he’d support changing Senate rules to bypass Democratic opposition and confirm Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee.
At his Friday appearance at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference, Toomey also said Democrats have never said Judge Neil Gorsuch ignored or misapplied the law in cases before him.
Toomey last year backed a Republican refusal to consider then-President Barack Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to fill the high court opening. But Toomey says this is different.
A Senate confirmation vote is expected late next week.
Unless 60 senators support Gorsuch, Republicans would have to change Senate rules to allow Gorsuch to be confirmed with a simple majority vote in the 100-member Senate. Getting to 60 votes would require six more Democrats to back Gorsuch.
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