Republicans Poised To Trigger 'Nuclear Option' To Put Gorsuch On Supreme Court

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) spent all night and a good part of Wednesday morning on the Senate floor, speaking out against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch.

Merkely's 15-hour speech was more for show than anything else — there is practically no chance that anything the Democrats do now will stop or even delay Gorsuch's confirmation. That's because Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to have the necessary number of votes to trigger the so-called "nuclear option," and change Senate rules to confirm Gorsuch with a simple majority, or 51 votes, rather than the traditional 60.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks with NPR legal affairs correspondent Nina Totenberg (@NinaTotenberg) about the coming showdown over Gorsuch's confirmation. The vote is set for Thursday.