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While the public has been turning out for unprecedented nationwide protests against President Donald Trump's anti-immigrant executive orders, Congressional Democrats have relatively cautious in their remarks.
That may be changing.
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) over the weekend came home to attend some of the largest town hall meetings in his career. This morning, he told reporters in Washington, D.C. that he will filibuster any of Trump's nominees to the US Supreme Court.
Trump said over the weekend that he would announce a nominee on Tuesday. This morning, Politico published its interview with Merkley in which he predicted that "the vast majority" of the Democratic caucus would filibuster Trump's nominee—unless Trump's nominee happens to be Merrick Garland, whom President Barack Obama appointed to the high court last year, and whom Republicans refused to confirm.
"This is a stolen seat," Merkley told Politico. "This is the first time a Senate majority has stolen a seat… We will use every lever in our power to stop this."
Merkley and his Oregon Senate colleague, Ron Wyden, have thus far voted together on Trump's cabinet nominees—sometimes in favor, sometimes not.
Wyden and Merkley supported the confirmation of James Mattis as Secretary of Defense and of Nikki Haley as United Nations Ambassador. They opposed the confirmation of Mike Pompeo as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and of John Kelley as Secretary of Homeland Security.