The Senate handed President Donald Trump his biggest victory so far, confirming Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch after Republicans muscled past Democratic opposition with a unilateral rule change that may wind up poisoning the debate over the president’s agenda in Congress.
With Vice President Mike Pence in the presiding officer’s chair, the Senate voted 54-45 to confirm Gorsuch who, at age 49, is likely to help shape the court for decades to come. Trump is counting on him to reinstate a conservative-leaning 5-4 court under Chief Justice John Roberts.