© Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
Two Democratic Senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, announced Thursday that they will be voting to approve Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. They are the first Democrats who have said they are supporting his nomination. Manchin called Gorsuch an “honest and thoughtful man” in a statement, saying “I hold no illusions that I will agree with every decision Judge Gorsuch may issue in the future, but I have not found any reasons why this jurist should not be a Supreme Court justice.” Heitkamp had similar praise: “He has a record as a balanced, meticulous, and well respected jurist who understands the rule of law,” she said in the statement. Some Democrats have promised to filibuster when the vote reaches the floor.