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U.S. senators from Alabama on Neil Gorsuch's nomination

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See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2017: An overview

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On January 31, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. Scalia was a member of the U.S. Supreme Court for three decades.[1] President Trump said regarding the nomination,[2]

“

I am proud to announce the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch for Justice of the Supreme Court ... This has been the most transparent and most important Supreme Court selection process in the history of our country and I wanted the American people to have a voice in this nomination. Judge Gorsuch has a superb intellect, an unparalleled legal education, and a commitment to interpreting the Constitution according to its text. He will make an incredible Justice as soon as the Senate confirms him. [3]

”

Confirmation hearings on Gorsuch's nomination before the Senate Judiciary Committee were held from March 20-23, 2017. On April 3, 2017, voting 11-9 on party lines, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the full U.S. Senate. That same day, Senate Democrats announced that they had a sufficient number of votes to sustain a filibuster against the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. In anticipation of an expected filibuster, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicated that he was prepared to restrict the use of filibusters on Supreme Court nominations, referred to as the nuclear option. The Senate voted on April 6, 2017, to end the use of filibusters on all presidential nominations and proceeded to vote to end debate on the Gorsuch nomination. Gorsuch was confirmed on a recorded 54-45 vote of the Senate on Friday, April 7, 2017, and he received his commission on Monday, April 10, 2017.[4]


HIGHLIGHTS
  • President Donald Trump (R) nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court on January 31, 2017.
  • On January 3, 2017, the first day of the 115th Congress, Republicans held a 52-48 majority in the U.S. Senate.
  • Confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee began on March 20, 2017.



    • U.S. senators from Alabama on Neil Gorsuch's nomination

    Richard Shelby (R)

    Senator Shelby released the following statement on January 31, 2017:[5]

    “

    After the untimely death of the conservative lion Justice Antonin Scalia, I strongly believed that the American people deserved a voice in filling this critical vacancy. President Trump has made an outstanding selection in nominating Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, and I am confident that he will preserve Scalia’s legacy on the bench for generations to come.

    Our next Supreme Court Justice must be a steadfast supporter of the rule of law with an unwavering commitment to the Constitution. There is no doubt that Judge Gorsuch meets these necessary qualifications. I look forward to supporting his nomination and urge my Senate colleagues to join me. [3]

    		”

    Luther Strange (R)

    On February 8, 2017, Jeff Sessions (R) was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. attorney general. Sessions' confirmation created a vacancy. On February 9, 2017, Alabama Governor Robert Bentley (R) appointed Luther Strange, then-attorney general of Alabama, to serve in the United States Senate until a 2018 special election.

    See also

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ The New York Times, "Justice Antonin Scalia, Who Led a Conservative Renaissance on the Supreme Court, Is Dead at 79," February 13, 2016
    2. ↑ The White House, "President Donald J. Trump nominates Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court," January 31, 2017
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    4. ↑ Politico, "Gorsuch confirmation hearing set for March 20," February 16, 2017
    5. ↑ [ http://www.shelby.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/1/shelby-applauds-president-trump-s-supreme-court-nominee Senator Richard Shelby, "Shelby applauds President Trump's Supreme Court nominee," January 31, 2017]
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