Jul 9, 2018

By the numbers: The narrow margin to confirm Trump's SCOTUS pick

Axios

Gorsuch at his confirmation hearing. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Republicans have "a narrower margin for error than they did when the Senate confirmed Trump's first Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch, by a vote of 54-45 in April 2017," AP's Kevin Freking writes.

The bottom line: This time, the GOP might only have one vote to lose.

How we got here:

Democratic Sen. Doug Jones won in Alabama, replacing Republican Luther Strange and slashing the Republicans majority in the Senate to 51–49.
If Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski vote "no" on Trump's Supreme Court pick and all Democrats also vote "no," the nominee would be blocked.
Yes, but: Republican Sen. John McCain has been away from Washington since December as he fights brain cancer.
If he misses the vote, that margin becomes that 50–49. And only one Republican senator has to vote with the Democrats to block the nomination.

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By the numbers: The narrow margin to confirm Trump's SCOTUS pick

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