Liberal groups press party to abandon Dems who back Gorsuch

A coalition of liberal groups is putting pressure on the Democratic Party not to help centrist Democrats running for reelection next year if they vote for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch.

Liberal activist leaders plan to deliver a petition Monday to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) urging party leaders not to give campaign funds to any senator who votes for Gorsuch or strikes a deal to advance his nomination.

{mosads}Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) on Thursday became the first Democrats to say they will back ending debate on Gorsuch and advancing his nomination. Another 37 Democrats have come out in opposition to Trump’s nominee, according to The Hill’s Whip List. The remaining nine Democrats are undecided or unclear.

Democrats can filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination if 41 senators vote against ending debate. Republicans have warned they will go “nuclear” and change the Senate’s rules to force through the Gorsuch confirmation if Democrats block a nominee they say is fully qualified for the court.

The activists heading to DSCC headquarters Monday at noon include Claire Sandberg, co-founder of #AllofUs and WeWillReplaceYou.org; Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth Action; Kurt Walters, director or of Demand Progress; Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of Ultraviolet Action; and Sabrina Williams of #VoteProChoice.