upgrade in technology that will help it take down the next giant. amen. [applause] the david sling missile-defense .ystem >> c-span programs are available on www.c-span.org on our homepage and by searching the video library. >> washington journal continues. blockshould democrats neil gorsuch's nomination? that is the question we have for you before the senate dabbles in this morning. -- gavels in this morning. we want to hear your thoughts. the lines for republicans, arecrats, and independents

on the screen. we will talk with sheila first on the line for republicans. go ahead. caller: good morning. i do not think they should block it. it is just a political move. i watched 20 hours of questioning of this very humble, competent judge. i think they should use the nuclear option, and put gorsuch in. it is quite refreshing to see a ande ruled-based on the law not his own political agenda. host: what would you say to democrats who say that the nuclear option is just a political move? they are think that doing this just to block this judge. what was the purpose of the confirmation hearings? host: is it any less political to change the rules to get him confirmed? caller: no, i don't.

i think they are doing it just out of resentment that judge garland was not put in. host: let's go to mimi in collegeville. an independent. good morning. caller: good morning. my view is directly opposite of what was just her. . think you should be blocked should be blocked on his merits. i think he has shown that he follows much what the democrats the said -- especially what female senator of minnesota said where she pointed out a number of areas where he did not seem to have any and that the four the little guy. in herluded the miners home city of minnesota. so, that is one, general

objection i think has some merit. there is also just a lot of objections that he was unsympathetic to those who are not in power. that is the main thing i think is evident here. host: mimi referring to the questioning during judge gorsuch's confirmation hearings. the vote happening in the senate judiciary committee yesterday moving jeff gorsuch to the floor of the senate. it was 11-9 party nine -- party line vote. the regrets now city have enough votes to filibuster the nomination. we want to hear your thoughts. james, an independent. go ahead. caller: good morning. i am afraid that they are going to have to use the nuclear option to get this judge whoever will be

acceptable if this guy is not? -- isk this is your spite pite politics. if he had gone through, we would have had these decisions on the dreamers. the whole family, they want to throw this link it legalization legalizationet over everything. host: i'm too concerned that whatever is left of bipartisanship will crumble away? caller: it has crumbled away already. i would like to make a caller that's a comment to the last caller. -- i would like to make a comment to the last caller that you had in a previous section who said that republicans had

control over the past six years. they only just got control of the senate in 2014. host: shelby is in albany, new jersey. go ahead. caller: good morning. thank you to c-span for being the voice of the people. the decisions of the u.s. supreme court affect the lives of all americans. gorsuch's record on the than the ninth circuit court that merrick garland was on -- he was infinitely more qualified in terms of the stream of the organizational chart. since the supreme court dramatically affects the lives ts, writes, this -- and righ the record shows that he was willing to ignore legal precedent if you did not have to do with results that he favored. the notion that somehow this is

spite politics -- well, despite they showed to president obama and the disrespect to the office that he was elected to twice with a landslide majority in both the elect oral and popular vote. so, the respect for the basic civil liberties and right for all people is what we expect of the judicial system and the highest court in the land. judge gorsuch's troubling career as an active advocate with an agenda -- you are right as the republic -- the washington post reporter had the story, it is a right-wing religion, anti-diversity, and total intolerance agenda. they do understand that. they have this crazy man up here, donald trump with his son and daughter -- this is not about process.

this is about rights and liberties we deserve as all americans. as far as you legals are concerned, if that man from georgia -- get some education. you are competing against illegal. as have had white privilege a white male who has controlled this country for 200 plus years. host: all right, shelby, we will stick to the gorsuch nomination. you are right about his career in terms of his circuit court placement. law school harvard and graduated in 1991. he was born in 1967 in denver. next. up good morning. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i think what we really have here is a total partisan action on

the side of the republicans. they have confirmed people to be cabinet who are really not worthy. they have done it just because they have been nominated by a republican resident. the cabinet -- republican president. the cabinet -- i would say there are a few good people in the cabinet. i like a couple of the folks, but what it is allowing people to do is ridiculous. this also impacts the nomination of gorsuch. he is totally a corporate man. just like the rest of the cabinet. they are all more supportive of rich people than poor people. they are not about equality that democrats should support. i do think that i do not know about the nuclear option that i do not know about the nuclear option.

any not think it will do good. if republicans forced the nuclear option, it will also be something that democrats will use when it comes out. so, i do not think it is a good thing for the senate. i think the senate should remain as nonpartisan as possible, but maybe we are beyond that. maybe we are poorly into a partisan government, and we will be for a long time. i think especially with the department of education -- i would have like to see enough thatlicans vote against nomination, but it did not happen. host: you mentioned the president's cabinet. one of those members was at the white house press reefing yesterday where he was presented a check signed by president over for $70,000 -- for $70,000. he donated his salary for the first quarter of the year to the national parks service which as

the new york times points out faces major cuts in the budgetnt's first proposal. host: still time to take your calls. we are asking if democrats should block the gorsuch nomination from now until the house gavels in in about nine minutes. al is in spring city, utah. go ahead. caller: i think the progressives are trying to blockgorsuch's -- block gorsuch's nomination, because he is a protector of the constitution. al how do you find progressive? caller: you guys have the three things.

you have republicans, democrats, and independents for call ins. but, when you list those three, you need to add progressives so that people know who they are voting for. they are completely different from democrats. they are anti-americans and seditious traitors. they need to go out of our government. host: what are some of the ways they are different? what are some of their policies that you define progressive as? caller: they are not pro-american. they want to fundamentally change us. they want to fundamentally change our government. they are anti-american individuals working with in our government to try and collapse it. al, how many progressives do you think are in congress? is it handful? youer: i would suggest to

as a comparison that the progressive party has subjugated the democratic party like isis has subjugated the muslim religion. they have taken over something to get their own agenda through, and it is an anti-american agenda. as soon as democrats realize that in shape these fleas off their back, america will be a safer, more constitutionally covered country. host: richard, an independent. go-ahead. caller: i have watched some of the nomination this week. i have come to the conclusion that it is the parties themselves at odds with each other. honestly, the democratic party is upset because merrick garland was not even allowed a vote. honestly, this seems like payback time with what is going on with corsets. i think the solution to this -- gorsuch.such

athink the solution is double. i think if they are going to confirm gorsuch, then merrick garland should be confirmed for the next open sea. -- seat. the deal would be for democrats that the next vacancy will automatically be filled by merrick garland. so, if republicans get him confirmed through the nuclear option -- caller: without using it. without using it. there is no need for it. that is what i'm trying to avoid essentially. let's make a deal. host: thank you for the proposal. eugene is up next, a democrat.

go ahead. caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i think that is a good idea good they could throw in all of branch -- a good idea. they could throw in all of branch to the democrats -- olive branch to the democrats. i thought gorsuch was suspicious and how he would not answer the questions he was asked. do nott see what people understand why democrats would not be comfortable with his suspicious question evasion. the last point of what to make is the russian connection with this administration. it is really bad. the russians figured this out. we love big money, and we hate minorities. they are feeding that. the terrorist thing that just happened in russia could be very suspicious that putin would want

to get closer to trump, because trump always wanted to say he wanted him to fight alongside putin over terrorism. i think we should pay attention to this kind of thing. host: on that attacks in russia, president who didn't has -- putin has emphasized that terrorist were likely responsible for the attack. they believed the attack may have been carried out by a suicide bomber from a militant islamic group. speculation has turned to militants from southern russia. in that attack, 11 people were killed, and more than 40 wounded. some of the pictures there of the aftermath. vicky is in tennessee. a republican. though head. caller: -- go ahead. caller: i want to clarify a

comment a previous caller had. she said that merrick garland was higher up in the court structure then neil gorsuch was good actually, they are both -- neil gorsuch was. actually, they are both at the same level because they are circuit appeal judges. i want to make that clear so that our democrat and independent constituents also understood that. host: thank you for clarifying on that. next caller, a republican. go ahead. caller: good morning. first of all, one of your callers said they wanted a judge who was empathetic. i do not know if we want judges who are empathetic. i think we want judges who will follow the law. we want all editions who are empathetic, and we want a president who is empathetic, but that is why we have a three-part government. our judges should always follow the law. whether or not they agree with

the law, or if they find with the person they are ruling against has unfortunate circumstances -- empathy and a judge do not mix. could note gorsuch answer a lot of the questions asked of him because of the ethics required as a judge. he cannot say what he feels about a particular law or issue that may or may not come before the court. that is what my comment would be. host: if viewers want to watch his entire testimony before the senate judiciary committee, the video is on your screen, and you can watch it over on www.c-span.org. looking at a few tweets on this topic.

let's go to marry in new york on the line for independents. good morning. caller: good morning. i just want to address the comment about progressives. i kind of disagree. have of all, progressives very little say-so on what is going on in this country right now. i feel like we are going to end up being in a situation with the furthest people on the right making laws for a majority of the population. so, a minority is making laws for the majority. beliefople's are of the that they may be against abortion, but they do not want to change the law because it has been legal for so long. it is a personal matter the same way with citizens united. judge gorsuch has ruled in favor of citizens united. i think we're going to get to the point where there is going

that thereority of is going to be a minority who rules a majority -- there is going to be a minority that is going to pass rules for the majority, and most people are not going to be comfortable with that arrangement. if we take these things backward, i think the majority of americans are not going to be comfortable with it. so, i do not understand this progressive view. they have very little power right now in this country. i have independent, and both conservative and progressive views. to take this country so far to the right, i do not think that is where the american people are at. host: the usa today wrap up of what is happening in the senate with judge neil gorsuch predicting that the showdown over the filibuster will, on thursday. they then walked through the legislativelyt would have to happen before the

nuclear option could be employed. if you want to check out that story, it is on the front page of usa today. callsor a few more car -- before the house gavels in. our next caller on the line for democrats. go ahead. caller: i want to correct the record. merrick garland is the chief judge of the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia. that court of appeals does rank higher than the other u.s. district court of appeals. in fact, merrick garland is the highest ranking judge in this country below the u.s. supreme court. i definitely support the filibuster of neil gorsuch's confirmation to the supreme court. host: thank you. the caller before making the point about circuit courts being

on the same level, but we appreciate that as well. minnesota on the line for republicans. go ahead. caller: i think the democrats should grow up. that guy is going to change everything. that is what we need. we need him on the bench. democrats, grow up and smell the coffee. host: ramona on the line for republicans from virginia. go ahead. theer: earlier, you said -- there had supported were some of democrats who supported gorsuch, but i want to know all who did. i only know of two. could you repeat them? host: the wall street journal had their wrap up on that. one of them was senator bennett from colorado.

also, senator manchin from west virginia. those four were listed in the various whip counts that have been made of democrats who would support. there are not enough democrats or republicans to avoid a filibuster. we now take our viewers to live coverage on house floor. we will see you back your tomorrow morning on "the washington journal." the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the chair lays before the house a communication from the speaker. the clerk: the speaker's room, washington, d.c., april 4, 2017. i hereby appoint the honorable garrett graves to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, paul d. ryan, speaker of the house of representatives.