This morning, after much anticipation Senate Democrats stopped the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. But instead of finding a new nominee who could win bipartisan support (and the necessary 60 votes), Senate Republican leaders destroyed over 200-years of history and triggered the “nuclear option,” drastically changing Senate rules.
Today, Senate Republicans have changed the rule that requires 60 votes to move forward on Supreme Court nominees. This means that Senate Republicans can now confirm Judge Gorsuch—a conservative ideologue—with no support from Senate Democrats. But the consequences of choosing the nuclear option extend far beyond this one vote. And Senate Republican leaders themselves seem to know that—many of them have spoken out against changing the rules saying things like it will “ruin the judiciary over time.” We agree.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Keep Calling. The Senate has blown up its rules to force Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee’s confirmation. But the final vote on Gorsuch won’t be until tomorrow, which means today is the day your senator needs to hear from you. Already called? Great! Call again! Or check out our toolkit for other actions you can take. Call (202) 224-3121 to be connected to your Senator, then demand they #ResistGorsuch.
WHAT’S TRENDING
Nunes. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), who you may remember as the Rep. who held a secret meeting at the White House about Trump’s wiretapping claims, announced he will not lead his committee’s investigation into Russian interference in our election. This news comes at the same time as the House Ethics Committee announced that Nunes is under investigation for potentially unauthorized disclosure of classified information. Nunes stepping aside from the Russia investigation is certainly a step forward, but only an independent investigation will be able to get the full story behind the ties between Russia and Trump.
“Work trips.” Trump is a fan of them. Today, he’s heading down to Florida a little early and he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump spent much of his campaign and the early days of his presidency criticizing China for its trade and North Korea policies. Before they meet read these: 5 issues Trump needs to get right on China and Trump: Making the Trade Deficit Great Again.
Pre-existing conditions. Before the Affordable Care Act, insurers were allowed to—and routinely did—charge anyone with a pre-existing health condition more for insurance coverage. That means anyone with high blood pressure or asthma could expect to have to pay far more for health care than someone without a pre-existing condition. And people with serious conditions like cancer or heart disease were regularly denied coverage altogether. The Affordable Care Act made these discriminatory practices history. But now, Republican leaders are threatening to bring them back, which would make their already incredibly harmful health care plan even worse. New CAP analysis shows the number of people in every congressional district living with pre-existing conditions.
The Wall. Funding isn’t the only hurdle standing in the way of Trump’s big, beautiful, totally unnecessary border wall. Climate change is too. The vast majority of the U.S.-Mexico border runs straight through the middle of the Rio Grande river, which is experiencing ever-worsening floods thanks to climate change, which, by the way, Trump still thinks is a Chinese hoax.
UNDER THE RADAR
Changing the rules. If you can’t win, change the rules. That’s the Trump motto. And now, Senate Republicans are considering yet another rule change that would help them rush through Trump appointees. This change would be separate from the “nuclear option,” which eliminates the 60-vote threshold for judicial nominees. The new change would “reduce the debate time after a nominee clears an initial procedural hurdle from 30 hours to eight hours.”
GOOD NEWS
Fair Pay. More than a year after five US women’s soccer players filed a complaint about pay discrimination, the team and US Soccer (finally) reached an agreement for better pay and benefits. In addition to salary increases, the agreement includes better travel and maternity benefits.