we had free will drenches the senator mcconnell has it now. what we left the 60 vote threshold impact for the supreme court because we knew, and no, p just as our republican friends know that the highest court in the land is different. unlike with the lower courts, justices on the supreme court don't simply apply president of a higher court. they set the precedents. they have the ultimate authority under our constitutional government to interpret the law. justices on the supreme courtn should be mainstream enough to garner a substantial bipartisanh support. hence, why we didn't change thes rule, why would believe in the 60 vote threshold. hence, by 55 for 60% of all americans agree with the 60 vote threshold according to the most recent polls. to me, and i think to most of my friends on the republican side, that's not a good enough reason to escalate the argument and break the rules for the supreme court. second as i mentioned, i've heard my republican friends completed democrats are conducting the first partisan filibuster of a supreme court

senator mcconnell would have the world believe that his hands are tied. that the only option after judge gorsuch doesn't earn 60 votes is to break the rules to change the rules. that could not be further from the truth. every time in the history of this country that a supreme court nominee has failed to earn the necessary votes to pass the senate, the answer has been to change the nominee, not the rules. we believe that is exactly what should happen now. president trump should actually consult with democrats and republicans, not just right wing special interest groups and come up with a mainstream nominee who can earn 60 votes that all but one justice since the eisenhower administration has earned. that's how it worked before, that's how it should work now, that's how it ought to work in the future. both sides i know are pointing fingers at the other in this debate, saying the other side started it. we did not get our nominee when senator mcconnell broke 230 years of senate precedent and didn't even allow judge garland a hearing and a vote. now senate rep

>> senator mcconnell: yes. we will confirm judge gorsuch this week. >> chris: secondly, do you have the eight democratic votes, as we said here today to avoid a filibuster? >> senator mcconnell: i don't think we know. there are democrats who have not yet announced their position. in the course of the week, what you ask me will become revealed by announcements of democrats who have not yet said what they will do. >> chris: you said that he will be confirmed one way or the other, so does that mean if you can stop a filibuster that you will go to the nuclear option and change the senate rules so that you can cut off debate with 51 votes and confirm him? >> senator mcconnell: what i'm telling you is that judge gorsuch is going to be confirmed. the way in which that occurs is in the hands of the democratic minority. i think during the course of the week we will find out exactly how this will end, but it will end with his confirmation. >> chris: let me pick up on that. back in 2013, the democrats invoked the nuclear

senator schumer and senator mcconnell debating, mitch mcconnell just pulled what is known in the senate as a , after thegger democrats filibustered the nominee of neil gorsuch. yes, you're right, democrats did this in 2013 to eliminate the threshold for nominees to the executive branch and the judicial branch other than the supreme court. the supreme court precedent remained in what democrats did in 2013. what mcconnell is doing now is going further along the road, creating a precedent that will be difficult come almost impossible, to reverse in the future, that all supreme court nominees can be confirmed in the majority by a simple majority. the senate is about to have the vote to overturn the ruling of the chair. senator mcconnell have the votes to return this rule and essentially go nuclear. vonnie: it is interesting because it is called the nuclear option for republicans, but it was the democrats who had the power to unleash it really. it was something that was a threat and was never used until it was used, and now we have a whole new environment. does it really change anything poli

mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i'm proud to say the senate has now confirmed judge neil gorsuch as an associate justice on the supreme court. i want to congratulate judge gorsuch on this significant achievement. we look forward to observing his good work in the years to come. the confirmation process was certainly a significant undertaking, one that wouldn't have been possible without the dedicated efforts of so many. so i'd like to take a moment to recognize them now. first i'd like to thank the man who made this moment possible by sending us this outstanding nominee. that's our president, donald trump. this has been one of the most transparent judicial nomination processes anybody -- the presiding officer: the majority leader will suspend. the senate will be in order. the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: this has been one of the most transparent judicial nomination processes anybody can remember, and president trump should be commended for his efforts. i also appreciate the role vice president pence pla

mcconnell: mr. president, i would only add, not to prolong the discussion, but i don't think the failure to pass a one-week c.r. necessarily impacts the concerns the democratic leader has. but that's his call to make. the one-week c.r. is clear on our side. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the democratic leader. mr. schumer: very simply, there is a simple way to resolve it, and that is the republican leader of the senate, the speaker of the house, just agree to no poison pill riders. i yield. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: are we in a quorum call? the presiding officer: we are, sir. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispense dispens. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. mcconnell: i'd just like to make sure our colleagues on the other side of the aisle know -- the presiding officer: the senate will be in order, please. mr. mcconnell: i'd just like to make sure

effectively giving leader mcconnell the green light to do that. this president needs a win, particularly after a rocky past couple of weeks. >> kristen, thank you. and thank you to our team of analysts and reporters. just a reminder to viewers, senator chris coons announced he would not aport judge gorsuch, which means the democrats have 41 votes to filibuster judge gorsuch. now the ball is in mitch mcconnell's hands and the republicans, do they go nuclear? we'll be watching to find out how that plays out. this brings us to today's microsoft pulse question of the day. should democrats use their political capital to try to block judge neil gorsuch's supreme court nomination? the pulse is open. cast your vote at pulse.msnbc.com. >>> president trump meeting with the egyptian president at the white house today. the first of three meetings he has with world leaders this week. that's after the break. ♪ ♪ everyone deserves attention, whether you've saved a lot or just a little. at pnc investments, we believe you're more than just a number. so we provide

mitch mcconnell has every right to do what he wants to do. if you cannot get a simple majority, and up-and-down vote like that democrats have always well now they want and up-and-down vote and the democrats do not want to go along with it. they want to go back to the 60 when everyone told them not to do what they were going to do. i have been watching this for the last 15 years on c-span which is a great program. some days, i get so hot i cannot even take my blood pressure. unfortunately, this is the way the government is working now. i hate to see it. choicere is no other get the republicans have to this agenda through that the american people voted for in november. host: thank you for calling in. paul? guest: one of the things that happened in the fall of 2013 was that the democrats had almost been in the majority for too long. partisan.ay that as a i mean that in the way that they behaved. also, republicans had been in the minority for too long. it was almost a street years at that point. what happened was that republicans began to behave

mcconnell. you like to put up quotes. he said, i think we can stipulate and my good friends on the other side of the aisle stipulated from time to time over the years when they were in the minority that in the senate it takes 60 votes on controversial matters. that has been the tradition of the senate for a long time. this is nothing new. >> then why did you change the rules in the first place? i go back to this because now we're going down the slippery slope and everybody has hypocrisy on their side to point the finger. but you guys are hand in hand sliding down this slope. tell me this, in ten years do you think the filibuster will still be alive -- >> yes. that's one of the few things that my dear friend mitch said on the show that i agree with. i don't think there's any thirst to change the legislative rules, 60 votes for that. republicans have served in both the minority and majority and know what it means. but why not -- you know, you can do a lot of finger pointing. each side has some right here. let's stop this no

judge neil gorsuch and mitch mcconnell vows he will be confirmed this week. transfer the dow rose 4.5% in the first quarter. we are going to take a look at what will drive markets in the second quarter appeared earnings for washington policies. fox contributor gary is on deck. nicole: taking a look at asian markets. close in china, japan. continuing the trend to the upside up almost half of 1%. lauren: a record quarter for tesla as the electric car maker jumps nearly 70%. we will tell you why. nicole: a big night for country music is miranda lambert and jason l. dean scored a big victory. we will have all the highlights for you. lauren simonetti after three trips to the final four, finally win the championship and for baseball's opening day, chicago cubs start the season with a loss to st. louis. all those highlights. train 25:01 a.m. in new york on monday, april 3rd. we welcome you to "fbn:am," your first look at morning markets and breaking news. lauren: breaking news this morning. a strong warning against north korea. president trump saying the u.s. is rea

mitch mcconnell says we try to change the subject, i beg to differ. he does not want to address the filibusters. he doesn't want to address the rules change, but three quarters of his speech is dedicated to obamacare. we are not changing the subject today, he is. he doesn't want to discuss the the republicans have used to tie this place into one big knot. is for action and one who is opposed, the senate rules give the opposition a head start. and republicans have abused that advantage for years now, by judges, confirm preventing executive agencies from having the leaders they deserve. it's a new world. people demand action. the old rules need to be modified. that's what we have done today. we have modified them in ways that can make things work. who in america doesn't think that a president, democrat or republican, deserves his or her pick for who should run the agencies. nobody. of there is a long list cabinet and subcabinet level positions. not just the most recent. it hadn't come to this, but the american people deserve a functioning government, no

no one is forcing senator mcconnell to change the rules. he's doing it at his own volition, just as he prevented merrick garland from getting a vote at his own volition. senator mcconnell and my republican colleagues are completely free actors and making a choice, a very bad one, in our opinion. now, i know my friends on the other side of the aisle are uncomfortable with this choice, so they are scrambling for arguments to justify breaking the rules. let me go through a few of these justifications and explain why each doesn't hold up. first, many of my republican colleagues will argue that they can break the rules because, quote, democrats started it in 2013 when we lowered the bar for lower court nominees and cabinet appointments. well, let's talk about that. the reason majority leader reid changed the rules was because republicans had ramped up the use of the filibuster, the very filibuster they now decry, to historic proportions. they filibustered 79 nominees in the first five years of obama's presidency. let's put that in perspective. p

we heard in reporting there, senator mcconnell confident he will be confirmed. am curious to you not only the obvious question, will they have filibuster proof go to do that, but a sissified democrats want to pay? is this the nominee that they want to really put up a fight against? >> great question. i find it particularly interesting that democrats are willing to die on this hill for the nominee. it's interesting because a lot of democrats across the country has praised gorsuch. you saw obama's solicitor general kaman and say he would be a good pick. fitchburg, has said if they are going to do this, what should be the first time in history the president does not get an up or down vote, he will basically well of the senate rules. that is a huge deal because they created the senate to be the bipartisan institution whereas the house is run by a majority vote in the senate unique bipartisanship to do anything. in pushing mcconnell to the spring when he's going to get confirmed anyway, you know, artisanship is tearing apart the institution. reporter: is their appeti

mcconnell: mr. cornyn: madam president? the presiding officer: the

all signs say mitch mcconnell has enough votes. senator coons is here coming down the hallway -- senator -- senator coons, you are the person who really made this headline -- so, katy, apparently the senator not wanting to add too much more to his comments here, simply going through that door. but he, of course, will be the person in the headlines today as the person who tipped the balance here and set the stage for this nuclear option. >> eagle-eyed and quick on her toes, kasie hunt. >>> let's play some of the sounds from democrats saying they're going to try to block kne neil gorsuch. i know senator coons didn't answer any of kacie's questions, but listen to this. >> unfortunately, based on gorsuch's record in the department of justice, his tenure on the bench, his appearance before the senate and his written questions for the record, i cannot support this nomination. >> my conscience will not allow me to ratify the majority leaders' actions. not last year, not this year. i will not, i cannot support this nomination. >> senators

mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, this is one of those days i never look forward to. in my time in the senate, i have had a lot of outstanding chiefs of staff. it's a pretty impressive group of men and women who have been in that position with me over the years, none more impressive than the person who unfortunately i have to say goodbye to today. i'm here today to pay tribute to brian mcgwire, chief of staff in my personal office, who is going to be leaving after well over ten years of service in several different capacities, but the last few years as my personal office chief of staff. a really uniquely gifted person. one of the most skilled writers i've ever encountered. and, in fact, in my career, the most skilled writer i ever encountered. but in addition to that, good at a whole lot of other things, too, as i will subsequently describe in my remarks. so

mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask consent that proceedings of the quorum call be dispensed with. the vice president: without objection. mr. durbin: i yield back the balance of time on this side. the vice president: without objection, all time is yielded back. the question occurs on the confirmation of neil m. gorsuch of colorado to be an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. mr. mcconnell: i ask for the yeas and nays. the vice president: is there a sufficient second? there is.

he founded the mcconnell center. it is always special to be at the center and speaking with so many wonderful scholars here. i just wanted to say a word to the senator. i think some may view them as strange bedfellows. a lifelong, dyed in the wool democrat as paul was, scholar, and academic. and a conservative senator. they came together for the good of the commonwealth of kentucky, for the city of louisville and certainly for the university. i always want to thank them. i think paul is watching us and i always want to express my thanks to him. it is an honor to be the memorial lecturer this year. i have read about the amazing career and service to our country and the fact that he gave his life and service to our country, it makes him the ultimate mcconnell scholar. and i'm so grateful to be here and speaking in his honor. i want to thank my dear friend gary greg -- the director of the mcconnell center along with felicity jones. also, to all of those at the mcconnell center who helped put this evening on. first of al

mcconnell says he's confident he has enough support make the change.full senate vote is expected friday. >>> still going at this hour, democratic senator jeff merkley of oregon who started talking at 4:00 p.m. it is 4:49 a.m. eastern time doing all they can to make one last stand to try and stop the nomination of neal gorsuch, the confirmation, rather, to the highest court in the land. what an intriguing fight. another fight over health care is back on the front burner. vice president pence meeting again later today with members of the house freedom caucus, that's the group that blocked the first white house effort to repeal and replace obamacare. freedom caucus chairman mark meadows so optimistic about the progress being made he's in favor of cancelling the upcoming house recess to get an agreement. >> there's a concern on my part that if we're making real progress that going home sends the wrong message, and, you know, it is certainly important that if we're close to a deal that we should, you know, work it out over the next few days to make sure we

mitch mcconnell has every right to do what he wants to do. if you cannot get a simple majority an it's all you got to do is just let us have an up and down vote so now they want and up and down vote and democrats don't want to go along with it. they want to go back to the 60 when everybody told them not to do what they were going to do. because i've been watching this for the last 15 years on c-span, which is a great program. some days i get so hot i can't even take my blood pressure. but unfortunately, this isthe way the government is working now. i hate to see it . but there's no other choice that the republicans have to get the agenda through that the american people voted for in november. >> thanks for watching, a lot more to watch this week on this topic one of the things that happened by the fall of 2013 is that the democrats had almost been in the majority for too long. i don't say that as a partisan. i mean it in the way that they behaved. and also, republicans had been in theminority for too long. it was almost 8 straight years at th

mcconnell, i mean, mcconnell is, he knows this stuff inside and out, and he's completely in the right that the democrats don't want neil gorsuch on the court. i get that. but he's going to be on the court. this hurts chuck schumer, this hurts the democrats because if you get rid of this rule, now you will only be able to have 52 justices to confirm the next nominee -- chris: 51 senator, yeah. >> 51 senators. and it could be the next opening will come in june. chris: well, that's what i want to pick up on with you, jerry. as explosive as this is, this is conservative judge scalia being replaced by another conservative judge, gorsuch. there is a lot of talk -- and it's speculation, who knows -- in june anthony kennedy, the key swing vote in the senate, might retire. and at that point, trump is naming somebody who can shift the balance of the court for three decades. >> right. and that's the argument that some to democrats even are using for not invoking -- letting the nuclear option be invoked this time. this is not an appointment that changes the ideological balance of the court. this

mcconnell: mr. president. mr. president, the senate has considered the nomination of neil gorsuch for many weeks. we've seen his impressive credentials, we've reviewed his incredible record, we've heard glowing praise on a nearly daily basis from colleagues and students, from judges, newspaper editorials, from democrats and from republicans. judge gorsuch is independent and he's fair. he's beyond qualified and he'll make a stellar addition to the supreme court. hardly anyone in the legal community seems to argue otherwise, and yet our democratic colleagues appeared poise to block this incredible nominee with the first successful partisan filibuster in american history. it would be a radical move, something completely unprecedented in the history of our senate, and out of all proportion to the imminently qualified judge who is actually before us, but then again this isn't really about the nominee anyway. the opposition to this particular nominee is more about the man that nominated him and the party he represents t

it's funny you bring that up with mitch mcconnell. he was the guy in 2013 who said you're going to be sorry some day to harry reid. they got rid of the filibuster for other cabinet nominations. which is why we're in the position right now. democrats don't have anybody else they can block. they can block the supreme court nominati nomination. and it's a question for both sides, short term gain versus long term gain. in the short term you can get gorsuch on to the bench, whether it's going to be by the standard procedure or the nuclear option procedure which lowers the threshold of what you need for a majority. and then it's a question of is mr. mcconnell feeling comfortable with that or because so much of the filibuster has already gone, the supreme court nominee that is the last threshold that's okay with it. or is he thinking darn it i was a guy who said this was a bad long term solution before an democrats have the same back and forth thing to deal with. what are they going to gain here and what is the end game. >> criminontrol of t

senator mcconnell said he would refuse to even meet with judge garland. it was a transparent political decision made by the republican leader in the hopes a republican would be elected president and fill the vacancy and it was part of a broader republican political strategy to influence if not capture the judicial branch of government at every level of the court system. not only did the senate republicans keep a supreme court seat vacant for over a year, they turned the senate executive calendar into a nomination obituary column for 30 other judicial nominees who'd been reported out of the judiciary committee with bipartisan support. they were hoping a republican president would fill all of those seats and they were prepared to leave them vacant for a year or more to achieve that end. what kind of nominees were they hoping for? nominees who'd been blessed by special interests, by big business, and by republican advocacy organizations. it was last year then candidate donald trump released a list of 21 potential supreme court candidates who were hand picked

mcconnell: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: last evening the vice president notified me of the president's decision to respond to the syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its own people through military action. the action was taken to deter the assad regime from using chemical weapons again. i support both the action and the objective. the planning of this operation was clearly well considered, it was taken against the sharad air field where chemical weapons had been stored and taken against assets against the regime and hardened shelters. in the days ahead i'm committed to work with the administration to have a counter isil strategy and establishes objectives for dealing with the assad regime in a manner that preserves the institutions of government in an effort to prevent a failed associate -- state. our appreciation goes out to the world's military which presented capabilities and plans to the commander in chief and executed a difficult mission. none of this occurs without sears -- years of training by

[inaudible] well, senator mcconnell wanted me to negotiate the wall with president trump. i said to him two things, first, it's not a negotiation, no wall. second, i said, only you can persuade him that he shouldn't do the wall because that'll cause a government shutdown. i don't know if senator mcgonagle played a role, if you did, more power to him but if he did and i'm glad it worked out. [inaudible] democrats have always been for board security we just think the wall made no sense. border security is something we reported significantly in the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was supported by democrats in a public were not opposed to border security but were opposed to the wall and were not going to allow any dollars in any kind of border security appropriation to be used for a wall. [inaudible] i'll wait for the whole package before i respond. yet wait for the entirety. our focus in texas is the middle class. [inaudible] i'm not going to comment behind the scenes negotiations. one last question. mr. mike. [inaudible] what my view has always been is that the fo

majority leader mcconnell has made clear time and again that 60 votes is the standard for matters of controversy in this senate. let me cite a few of the leader's more memorial quotes. on december 2, 200, he said, "i think we can stipulate once again for the umpteenth time that matters in a have any level of controversy about it in the senate will require 60 votes. on october 28, 2009, senator mcconnell said, well, it's fairly routine around the senate that controversial matters require 60 votes. then again july 17, 2007, senator mcconnell said, 60 votes in the senate is common as gambling at casablanca. 60 vote s is a threshold that supreme court nominees have met for the past quarter century. if the supreme court nominee cannot garn 60 votes in the senate, then the president should put forward a new nominee. we're at unique moment in history. the president has already fired an attorney general and had his actions blocked by many courts. the president has also launched unprecedented attacks on the integrity of the federal judiciary and now the federal bureau of investigations has co

mcconnell: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. mcconnell: yesterday the administration introduced a plan to serve as the guideline for modernizing and simplifying america's tax code. this process is long overdue and it's a priority that's shared by the republican house, senate and the administration. by bringing down tax rates for individuals, we can help ease the burden on middle-class families, and by lowering taxes for american businesses both small and large, we can foster job creation here at home by making our country more competitive in an increasingly competitive international economy. so i want to commend the president and his team for taking this critical first step. i look forward to working with the administration and our house colleagues to finally, finally overhaul our tax system. now, on another matter, despite much unnecessary obstruction, the senate has now continued to move forward with the confirmation process for administration nominees. just this week, we have confirmed two more impressive individuals, secreta

majority leader mcconnell has announced a plan to hold a final confirmation vote friday next week, april 7. you can watch that live. our senate coverage is on c-span2. you can also watch on c-span.org and listen on the c-span radio app. about 10 minutes from now, we will show your remarks from this past week on the senate floor regarding the neil gorsuch supreme court nomination. again, 3:00 p.m. today, 10 minutes from now, here on c-span. video competition. this year, students told us the most urgent issue for the president and congress. our second prize middle school winner is a seventh grader from miami, florida, a student who believes cyber security is an urgent issue, and her , "cyberary is entitled security, the safety of our ation." take a look. >> we all use technology every day as part of our lives. don't you love using the web to contact friends? what about when websites are off-line or your computer shuts down or your phone stops working? situations like these have serious fixes, but more serious issues can be the result of cyber attack. the cyber security of our nation is the

of 60. >> mcconnell needs a majority of the senate's support.sident mike pence standing by to break a tie. a if you senate vote is expected friday. >>> and here we go. jeff merkley, oregon democrat, the senator still going on the senate flow, 5:17 a.m. eastern time. he started at 4:00. how is he going. >> 4:00 p.m. yesterday. >> how are people around him still sitting up? i guess the lady in the back is leaning against the wall. she hasn't fallen over. they continue to make a stand over neal gorsuch. >> coffee. >> a stunning prediction from an influential democrat on the house intelligence committee. congressman castro telling cnn some key players in the trump camp could be in for big trouble with their contacts with russia. castro's comments coming after democrats were briefed on intelligence reports that their embattled chairman devin nunes reviewed two weeks ago. listen to congressman cass to sounding an ominous warning for the trump administration. >> my impression is i wouldn't be surprised after all this is said and done some people end in

to express gratitude to mitch mcconnell for all that he did. give myalso like to thanks to chairman grassley. where is grassley? thank you. profound thank you to ouise and all of the gorsuch family. firsthand what a total inspiration you are to your husband and your entire family. thank you very much. [applause] president trump: we're here to celebrate history, the taking of the judicial oath by the newest member of the united states supreme court, neil gorsuch. justice gorsuch, i just want to congratulate you and your entire family. it is something so special. in fact, i have always heard that the most important thing that a president of the united states does is appoint people, hopefully great people like this appointment. to the united states supreme court, and i can say this is a great honor. [applause] president trump: and i got it done in the first 100 days. that is even nice. [laughter] president trump: you think that is easy? this ceremony has special meaning, as justice gorsuch is filling the seats of one of the greatest supreme court

mitch mcconnell says that he does not want to do it.ry reid change the rules of the senate to allow the nuclear option for lower level federal judges and federal appointees. it has never been used for a supreme court justice. it appears that it could happen this week. because there are enough democrats to announce their opposition to judge gorsuch, he will not get the 60 votes needed for confirmation. we will continue to keep an eye on it and be right back. >> jon: i just called my home state bob bennett, it is michael bennett. >> jenna: you cleared it up. we will see you back here in an hour, "outnumbered" starts now. >> we will begin with a fox news alert, the very neatest on what is happening now, the antiterrorism committee set up in russia to deal with the violence has spread across that city. a metro line station set ablaze today with at least one explosion. there were reports of people dead, at least ten people. here is what is new. authorities are saying that they have found a bomb at a second location. they have deactivated tha

senator mcconnell said no. republicans refuse all of her overtures to break the deadlock that they imposed. so if the majority leader wants to conduct this partisan they started exercise, sure we can trace it all the way back to the hamilton burr duel. the fact of the matter is that republicans blocked merrick garland using the mostck unprecedented maneuvers. now we are likely to block judge gorsuch and that means that neither party has gotten their party's choice in the last two years. so mr. president, we can go baco and forth and blame each other, but in the recent history of the vacancy caused by justice scalia step, we both lost. we lost merrick garland because of the majority leader's unprecedented loc aid and republicans will lose on judge gorsuch because we are doing something that we think is reasonable and asking he be able to earn 60 votes as so many others have. we think the two are notbo equivalent, but in either case, we both lost. we are back to square one and republicans have total freedom of ch

. >>> mitch mcconnell vowing to get gorsuch confirmed even if it means changing the rules of 51 votes needed. >>> neil gorsuch will be confirmed this week, it depend on how many are willing to kill a supreme court nominee, never happened before in history? >> if republicans are able to get judge gorsuch confirmed by friday we would be able to participate in the final terms of this year's -- >> today is a big day for neil gorsuch. the committee will vote on his nomination. he's expected to advance on party lines but also a glimpse of democrats so far on the fence will vote when he reaches the senate. it all comes down to the math. it takes 60 votes to confirm him and more than 30 democrats ledly chuck schumer say they plan to filibuster the nomination. >>> instead of changing the rules which is up to mitch mcconnell and the republican party why doesn't president trump democrats and republicans in the senate sit down and try to come up with a mainstream nominee. >>> they're furious that merrick gar land never got a vote but say gorsuch is well qualified. if the democrats vote to filibus

it means that mitch mcconnell will have to go nuclear this week. he will have to change the rules if he wants neil gorsuch confirmed. >> jenna: he would have to change a precedent in the senate to allow this to take place. if that precedent is changed, and republicans are able to vote for gorsuch to go to the supreme court, what are the ripple effects of that? >> lawmakers are concerned that if this happens for the supreme court nominee, they will be growing pressure on mcconnell to get rid of the filibuster, get rid of the 60 vote threshold for legislation. that was something mcconnell was asked about over the weekend paired he said rest assured, wrote not going to change the rules on the legislative filibuster, but when we sat down with him earlier, we asked point-blank about the filibuster and he said we have no current plans to change the rules, a few months later, he is changing the president for all intents and purposes, this is a rule. the practice in the senate has been the supreme court nominee needs 60 votes, that will no longer be the ca

mcconnell said he's confident the f.b.i. and the congressional intelligence committees can handle the probe. asked today whether he's seen any evidence to support president trump's accusation that the obama administration ordered any wiretaps of trump tower, senator mcconnell said," no." former trump national security adviser michael flynn, who has volunteered to testify in the congressional russia probes if granted immunity from prosecution, initially omitted thousands of dollars in speaking fees earned from russian entities on his white house financial disclosure form. flynn noted the payments, from before he joined the administration, in a revised form released by the white house yesterday. flynn was forced to resign in february after misleading vice president pence about the content of his phone calls last december with the russian ambassador. environmental protection agency administrator scott pruitt, in a departure from past remarks, acknowledged today human activity is indeed contributing to global warming. >> there's