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

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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 Montana on Neil Gorsuch's nomination

    Steve Daines (R)

    Senator Daines released the following statement after meeting with Judge Neil Gorsuch on February 9, 2017:[5]

    “

    Judge Gorsuch will bring impeccable legal qualifications and western commonsense to the U.S. Supreme Court ... He made clear to me that he understands the proper role of the judiciary and will not legislate from the bench. [3]

    		”

    Daines released the following statement on January 31, 2017:[6]

    “

    Neil Gorsuch has an established record as a mainstream judge who upholds the rule of law and doesn’t legislate from the bench. I know that Judge Gorsuch will interpret the rule of law in accordance to the original intent of our founding document, the Constitution. Judge Gorsuch is seeking confirmation to the highest court in our country and I look forward to speaking with him to hear how he will faithfully defend our Constitution. [3]

    		”

    Jon Tester (D)

    Senator Tester released the following statement after meeting with Judge Neil Gorsuch on February 6, 2017:[7]

    “

    Every Supreme Court nominee deserves a fair shake, and the same goes for Judge Gorsuch. We had a productive meeting, and I will continue to review his qualifications and get feedback from Montanans about his nomination to our nation's top court. As I continue to review his body of work, I will be looking to ensure he understands Montana and our challenges, as well as the Constitution and that he is committed to protecting our freedoms. [3]

    		”

    Tester released the following statement on January 31, 2017:[8]

    “

    In the coming weeks, I will be thoroughly reviewing the qualifications of President Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Gorsuch. It's critically important that he has an understanding of the Constitution and is willing to defend it. I look forward to sitting down with Judge Gorsuch, looking him in the eye, asking him tough questions, and finding out if he shares our Montana values. [3]

    		”

    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 3.2 3.3 3.4 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. ↑ Senator Steve Daines, "Daines meets with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch," February 9, 2017
    6. ↑ Senator Steve Daines, "Daines statement on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch," January 31, 2017
    7. ↑ Senator Jon Tester, "Tester meets with Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch," February 6, 2017
    8. ↑ Senator Jon Tester, "Tester statement on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch," February 1, 2017
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