Spicer: Dems setting ‘dangerous precedent’ on SCOTUS vote

White House press secretary Sean Spicer chided Senate Democrats for setting a “dangerous precedent” now that they have enough support to block President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and force a showdown over the “nuclear” option.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced on Monday Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination, but there are 41 Democrats who back a filibuster, which blocks Republicans from crossing the 60-vote threshold to end debate on Gorsuch.

“We’re obviously disappointed that the overwhelming majority of them are still playing politics with the nation’s highest court,” Spicer said at Monday’s White House briefing.

{mosads}“If Democrats get their way, and I know the numbers are looking that way, this is going to be the first successful filibuster of a nominee to join the Supreme Court, which is clearly unprecedented.”

When asked if the administration feels comfortable with the “nuclear option,” Spicer pointed to Trump’s comments from a few weeks ago in support for getting rid of the filibuster.

“We’re comfortable in the sense that obviously that decision is up to [Senate Majority] Leader [Mitch] McConnell [R-Ky.] to make how he wants the Senate to deal with this,” Spicer said. “I think the majority leader’s comments are very clear in the direction he’s heading in.

“And I think Democrats are setting a very dangerous precedent when it comes to how they want to do this because this isn’t about voting against somebody or having an issue with them. It is literally trying to stop using the filibuster for something that it was never intended for, nor has it ever really been the principle that we would vote down somebody who is qualified.”

According to The Hill’s whip list, 41 Democrats support a filibuster, while only four Democrats are opposed to one. Three of those Democrats face reelection in 2018 in a state won by Trump.

With the numbers for a successful blockade, Republicans are likely to change the Senate rules to circumvent a filibuster when his nomination goes to the Senate floor later this week.

“Make no mistake — and I believe Leader McConnell when he says on Friday— Judge Gorsuch will be voted as the next Supreme Court justice,” Spicer said.