Sen. Dianne Feinstein raised concerns about the millions in outside money spent to bolster Neil Gorsuch in the campaign to get him confirmed. | AP Photo Senate Democrats delay committee vote on Gorsuch nomination

Senate Democrats on Monday pushed a key committee vote for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch into next week, setting in motion a major showdown over his Senate confirmation.

The delay was expected — any member of the Judiciary Committee can ask for a nomination to be held over one week. The committee will now vote on Gorsuch's nomination on April 3, with GOP leaders hoping to get Gorsuch confirmed before senators leave town for the two-week Easter recess starting April 8.


Democrats are resistant. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the committee, again expressed her deep discontent over the GOP blockade of Merrick Garland, President Barack Obama's final nominee to the Supreme Court. She also raised concerns about the millions in outside money spent to bolster Gorsuch in the campaign to get him confirmed.

"That sends a loud signal to me," Feinstein said. "I think that the majority, and I say this respectfully, needs to consider those things."

Democrats also delayed two other nominations on the committee’s agenda for a week: Rod Rosenstein for deputy attorney general and Rachel Brand for associate attorney general.

Rosenstein’s confirmation battle has been swept up in the larger fight over Russia's intrusion in the 2016 election. He is poised to take over any federal Russia-related probes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself, but Democrats are demanding that a special prosecutor oversee the investigation instead.

