Two Democratic Senators Vow To Support Gorsuch and More in Politics Today

It’s difficult to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in this country and to break through the clutter, so we’re here to make it easier. Here’s what we at Countable are reading today:

1.Two Senate Dems vow to cross aisle in support of Trump high-court nominee

North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin have announced their intentions to back Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, but one thing sets them apart from the dozens of other senators who’ve pledged to do the same: their party.

Senate Democrats plan to employ the filibuster tactic to block the vote, which would require 60 votes to break. The 52 senate Republicans, now joined by Heitkamp and Manchin, need six more defections to avoid a showdown.

Read more at The Christian Science Monitor.

Read more about the fight over the Gorsuch nomination at Countable.

2. Trump seeks to 'reboot' U.S. relationship with Egypt in Monday talks

President Donald Trump will seek to rebuild the U.S. relationship with Egypt at a Monday meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi focused on security issues and military aid, a senior White House official said on Friday.

Some U.S. lawmakers have opposed loosening restrictions on aid to Egypt because of concerns about human rights in the country. The Trump administration intends to address human rights issues behind closed doors, the White House official said.

Read more at Reuters.

3. Senate revives long-stalled ISIS war authorization debate

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a vocal supporter for passing a stand-alone measure, is working with colleagues in both parties to try to "get over the impasse that has stymied" Congress for years.

Read more at The Hill.

4.Too Soon to Discuss Immunity for Flynn, Investigators Say

Congressional investigators on Friday rebuffed former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's offer of cooperation in exchange for immunity from prosecution, saying it's too early in their probe of Russia connections to discuss a deal.

A congressional aide confirmed that preliminary discussions with the Senate intelligence committee involved immunity but that it was too early in the investigation to set terms.

Read more at US News & World Report.

5. Student Loan Forgiveness Program Approval Letters May Be Invalid, Education Dept. Says

More than 550,000 people have signed up for a federal program that promises to repay their remaining student loans after they work 10 years in a public service job.

But now, some of those workers are left to wonder if the government will hold up its end of the bargain — or leave them stuck with thousands of dollars in debt that they thought would be eliminated.

Read more at The New York Times.

6. American Jobs Are Headed to Mexico Once Again

After Donald Trump’s election, the flow of manufacturers setting up shop south of the border dwindled to a trickle. Ford Motor Co. and Carrier Corp., caught in Trump’s Twitter crosshairs, scrapped plans to move jobs to Mexico in two very public examples of the slowdown.

While Trump hasn’t stopped pounding his America First bully pulpit, and the future of Nafta remains uncertain, "there’s cautious optimism and a hopeful attitude that cooler heads will prevail in Washington," said Ross Baldwin, chief executive officer of Tacna Services Inc., which facilitates relocations.

Read more at Bloomberg News.

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: USDA / Public Domain)