Sen. Ed MarkeyEdward (Ed) John MarkeyJoseph Kennedy mulling primary challenge to Markey in Massachusetts Overnight Energy: Trump sparks new fight over endangered species protections | States sue over repeal of Obama power plant rules | Interior changes rules for ethics watchdogs To cash in on innovation, remove market barriers for advanced energy technologies MORE (D-Mass.) pledged Monday that Democrats will restore a 60-vote filibuster threshold for Supreme Court nominees if they regain the majority in the upper chamber. 

"We will restore the 60-vote margin. We will ensure that for the Supreme Court there is that special margin that any candidate has to reach," he told MSNBC.
 
He said making Supreme Court candidates get 60 votes "is essential to ensuring that our country has a confidence in those people who are nominated, rather than just someone who passes a litmus test." 
 
Markey's comments come after Republicans triggered the "nuclear option" last week to confirm Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who took the judicial oath on Monday. 
 
There's been no indication yet from Senate Democratic leadership that it plans to restore the 60-vote procedural threshold if the party retakes the Senate in the future. 
 
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Under a rule change enacted last week by the GOP, the minority party will still be able to filibuster Supreme Court nominees, but the majority will only need 51 votes, instead of 60, to end debate. 
 
Republicans defended the rule change by arguing Democrats were waging the first "partisan filibuster" of a Supreme Court nominee and were signaling they wouldn't back any Republican nominee.  

“Our Democrat colleagues have done something today that is unprecedented in the history of the Senate. Unfortunately, it has brought us to this point. We need to restore the norms and traditions of the Senate," Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell rejects Democrats' 'radical movement' to abolish filibuster Hickenlooper announces Senate bid Trump orders elimination of student loan debt for thousands of disabled veterans MORE (R-Ky.) said shortly before the vote. 

Democrats accuse Republicans of effectively filibustering former President Obama's nominee for the court, Merrick Garland, because they refused to give him a hearing or a vote. 

Senate Democrats, led by then-Majority Leader Harry ReidHarry Mason ReidMcConnell rejects Democrats' 'radical movement' to abolish filibuster Harry Reid: 'Decriminalizing border crossings is not something that should be at the top of the list' 2020 Democrats fight to claim Obama's mantle on health care MORE (D-Nev.), voted in 2013 to lower the procedural hurdle for lower court and executive nominees, allowing them to clear the chamber with a simple majority, but kept the 60-vote filibuster in place for Supreme Court picks.
 
Markey's Monday pledge was met with near-immediate skepticism from some GOP strategists. 
Tags Mitch McConnell Harry Reid Ed Markey