Protesters had their say when Pence spoke for Gorsuch in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF/AP) - Vice President Mike Pence visited Philadelphia’s historic area, addressing the city's chapter of the Federalist Society.

Pence spoke at noon at Congress Hall for about 20 minutes while protesters took to the streets outside.

Pence pledged to the group of conservative lawyers and academics that Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, 49, will be seated on the high court "one way or the other."

Earlier in the week, President Donald Trump urged the Senate's Republican leader to scrap longstanding rules and "go nuclear" if Democrats block Gorsuch, a Denver-based U.S. appellate court judge, to a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court.

SEPTA had been “urging riders to use the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines for their travel needs. Both lines provide service to City Hall/15th Street Stations, with trips approximately every 10 minutes throughout the day on regular Saturday schedules. This frequency of service, coupled with plenty of capacity for passengers, provides riders with good options for getting to-and-from Center City.”

Unexpectedly, eastbound service on the Market-Frankford Line had to be shut down for police activity but has resumed normal operations at 5th Street.

Also, “For those traveling from outside of the city, there are convenient connections to the Market-Frankford Line at Frankford Transportation Center in Northeast Philadelphia and 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby. The Broad Street Line offers service from AT&T Station in South Philadelphia and Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia.”

Click here for System Status on all SEPTA routes.

Also, if you’re planning to visit historic sites, the National Park Service reports, “There will be a delayed opening for Old City Hall, Independence Hall, West Wing, and Congress Hall on Saturday, Feb. 4. These buildings will open to the public at approximately 1pm.”

Congress Hall was the meeting place for the U.S. Congress from 1790-1800. Among the historic events held there was George Washington's second inauguration.