Neil Gorsuch

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set a new precedent in the Senate to advance Supreme Court nominations with a simple majority. The GOP change ended a Democratic filibuster of Neil Gorsuch.

The high court will be even more polarized as future nominees become more ideologically extreme. The Senate will also be changed, as will faith in U.S. democratic institutions in general.

The Senate Democratic leader says Judge Gorsuch is not independent of President Trump.