The Senate, which past year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama's nominee to the court, voted 54-45 to approve Republican Trump's pick, Colorado-based federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch, to the lifetime job.
Democrats in 2013 first changed the rules of the Senate to block Republican filibusters of nominees to lower courts and government jobs, but left the Supreme Court untouched.
LGBTI groups are voicing disappointment and concern over the confirmation today of conservative judge Neil M. Gorsuch as the next justice of the US Supreme Court.
The change dubbed "the nuclear option" removes a 60-vote filibuster requirement for Gorsuch.
Michigan's two U.S. Senators, Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Twp., did not support Gorsuch's nomination.
But Trump has run into trouble with some other major initiatives.
"Serving on the U.S. Supreme Court requires more than education and experience, and I am extremely concerned that Judge Gorsuch's judicial approach is out of step with mainstream American values", he continued.
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The palpable tension hanging over Tillerson's trip spoke to a widening chasm between the former Cold War foes. Security Council's draft resolution condemning Syria and calling for it to comply with an investigation.
Democrats are still smarting from the decision by Republicans not to consider President Obama's nominee to succeed Antonin Scalia at the court following his death in February 2016.
This move indicates a further partisan split and both parties have warned of the court, once relatively bipartisan, becoming more ideologically extreme.
Later Monday, Justice Anthony Kennedy will ask his former law clerk and new colleague to take the second oath in a public ceremony at the White House. There is no way to know how many there will be, if any, but several justices are quite elderly.
On the Senate floor following the vote, the majority leader expressed thanks to Trump as "the man who made this moment possible by sending us this outstanding nominee".
"Our democracy simply can not afford a Supreme Court Justice who may bring his own political views into the courtroom". Then McConnell raised a point of order, suggesting that Supreme Court nominees should not be subjected to a 60-vote threshold but instead a simple majority in the 100-member Senate.
On Thursday, Democrats planned to filibuster to try to delay Gorsuch's confirmation, but Sen.
The Senate voted 55-45 to successfully filibuster the nomination.




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