Story highlights Republicans may use the "nuclear option" to cut short a Democratic filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch

The current rules require 60 votes to break a filibuster, but Democrats cut that to 51 during the Obama administration for executive branch agencies and lower court judges

(CNN) The Senate may be a week away from turning into the House.

Senators from each party are agonizing over the potentially toxic consequences if Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch is filibustered by Democrats and Republicans respond with the "nuclear option," a move allowing the GOP to quickly change Senate rules so the judge tapped by Republican President Donald Trump could be approved on a party-line vote.

They worry that by getting rid of the 60-vote threshold to defeat a filibuster on the nomination, the Senate is one step away from turning into a mirror-image of the House -- a chamber where bipartisanship isn't needed to pass bills and whichever party is in the majority can govern with little or no input from the minority party. Republicans currently hold a 52-48 majority in the Senate.

"We can turn the Senate into the House of Representatives with a six-year term. Will that really benefit anybody?" asked Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the longest serving member of the Senate.

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, who served a dozen years in the House -- both in the majority and the minority -- said maintaining the 60-vote filibuster for legislation is "extremely important."

Read More