Leftist filmmaker Michael Moore has called on Senate Democrats to filibuster Judge Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, or risk a primary challenge.
“Senate Dems, let’s be very clear: You will filibuster & block this SC nom or we will find a true progressive and primary u in next election,” he tweeted following Donald Trump’s selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy caused by the death of former Justice Antonin Scalia.
Senate Dems, let's be very clear: You will filibuster & block this SC nom or we will find a true progressive and primary u in next election.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 1, 2017
Moore expressed anger over the refusal of Senate Republicans to consider Judge Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to fill the vacancy, and demanded Trump appoint a more liberal nominee.
This Supreme Court pick was Obama's to make and it was stolen by Republicans. Democrats had better block this and demand a nom we approve.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) February 1, 2017
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) hinted at plans to filibuster Judge Gorsuch just minutes after President Trump publicly announced Gorsuch’s nomination.
“The burden is on Judge Neil Gorsuch to prove himself to be within the legal mainstream and, in this new era, willing to vigorously defend the Constitution from abuses of the executive branch and protect the constitutionally enshrined rights of all Americans,” Schumer said in a statement.
Senate Republicans did not attempt to filibuster any of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominees, while Senate Democrats attempted a filibuster against now-Justice Samuel Alito in 2006.
Despite threats from Michael Moore and the far-left wing of the Democratic Party, several Senate Democrats have expressed skepticism on supporting a filibuster.
“I’m not going to filibuster anybody,” West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said. Manchin is up for reelection next year in a state Donald Trump won with over 69%.
North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, up for reelection in a state Trump won with 63%, did not rule out supporting Judge Gorsuch; Montana Senator Jon Tester, another Democrat facing election in a state Trump won handedly, also did not rule out supporting Trump’s nominee.
“Senate Democrats should be wary of stooping to the Republicans’ level, especially because any such effort is likely to prove futile, since Republicans have the votes to simply eliminate the use of the filibuster against Supreme Court nominees,” the editorial board of the New York Times warned, suggesting a protracted fight could pressure Senate Republicans to lower the threshold for confirmation of future Supreme Court nominees to 51 votes via implementation of the “nuclear option.”
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