This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Like canoeing down the Niagara River, we have heard the roar of the falls getting louder for years. Now the Senate has plunged over the brink. The confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is just the tragic climax to this partisan ride.
For over 200 years, the Senate was able to confirm Supreme Court nominees with a 60-vote consensus. What just happened is called the "nuclear option" for a reason.
With polls showing voters strongly against this course by a 65 to 25 margin, there may never have been a time when Congress has been less responsive to the voice and will of the people. Clearly party and power are more important than country to them now.
I'm at a loss as to what it will take to truly alter this course, but it must start with calling Sen. Orrin Hatch, and some of our congressmen home.
Steve Lewis
Park City