Another Democratic senator has announced his support for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana becomes the third Democrat to say he will support President Trump’s pick to replace the late Antonin Scalia.
“After meeting with Judge Gorsuch, conducting a thorough review of his record, and closely following his hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I believe that he is a qualified jurist who will base his decisions on his understanding of the law and is well-respected among his peers,” he said in a statement Sunday.
Assuming all Republicans support Gorsuch, the nominee would need the votes of five more Democrats to achieve the 60 votes needed to avoid a filibuster. If the number does not hit 60, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has indicated he will invoke the “nuclear option” to end filibusters of Supreme Court nominees and require only a majority vote for confirmation.
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., announced Thursday they would vote to confirm Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
