Senate goes nuclear on Gorsuch

Republican Senators have officially triggered the nuclear option on Neil Gorsuch's Supreme Court nomination.

What's happening: As expected, Democrats filibustered Gorsuch, and Republicans didn't have the 60 votes to override. They've now changed the vote threshold to confirm Gorsuch by a simple majority of 51 votes.

What's next: The Democrats might force multiple roll-call votes on the floor to prolong the process. The Senate will vote to break the filibuster with the simple majority once the nuclear option is completed. Then comes the 30 hours of additional debate before Gorsuch's final confirmation. Expect a new Supreme Court Justice confirmed sometime Friday evening. They've also changed the rules on future judicial nominees, meaning 51 votes will be sufficient for confirmation.

The final vote tallies:

• The filibuster: 55-45
• The vote to invoke nuclear option: 52-48