title: With Coons, Democrats have enough votes to filibuster court pick Gorsuch
text: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Senator Chris Coons on Monday announced opposition to President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, ensuring Democrats can block a U.S. Senate confirmation vote to give Neil Gorsuch the lifetime job. Coons’ announcement put the number of Democrats opposing Gorsuch at 41, the tally needed to use a procedural hurdle called a filibuster that requires 60 votes to allow a confirmation vote in the 100-seat Senate.  Republicans control the Senate 52-48. If Democrats mount a successful filibuster and block the confirmation vote Senate Republicans planned to hold on Friday, Republicans would then be expected to try to change the chamber’s longstanding rules to allow confirmation by a simple majority. Trump backs such a move, sometimes called the “nuclear option.” 