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

    Deb Fischer (R)

    Senator Fischer gave the following speech from the Senate floor on February 2, 2017:[5]

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

    “

    I am encouraged to see President Trump select a Supreme Court nominee with a sharp intellect, steady judicial temperament, and long history of upholding the rule of law. These are exactly the characteristics a Supreme Court justice should possess. The American people spoke in the last election, and the Senate now has the responsibility to act on their wishes with a thorough confirmation process. I look forward to reviewing Judge Gorsuch’s record in great detail as part of this vigorous ‘advice and consent’ process. [3]

    		”

    Ben Sasse (R)

    Senator Sasse gave the following speech from the Senate floor on February 9, 2017:[7]

    Sasse released the following statement after meeting with Judge Gorsuch on February 7, 2017:[8]

    “

    Judge Gorsuch is a supremely qualified and thoughtful nominee. The Chicken Little hysteria from some of my friends on the other side of the aisle is just sad and absurd. If they keep working to paint Judge Gorsuch as a mouth-breathing bald eagle hunter, they'll embarrass themselves. Judge Gorsuch and I talked at length about our constitutional system of checks and balances. Whenever Democrats want to stop dealing in fiction, I’m confident Judge Gorsuch is ready for a serious conversation. [3]

    		”


    Sasse was interviewed by Jake Tapper of CNN about the nomination:[9]

    Sasse was interviewed by Chris Hayes on MSNBC about the nomination:[10]

    Sasse released the following statement on January 31, 2017:[11]

    “

    Neil Gorsuch is a highly-regarded jurist with a record of distinguished service, rooted in respect for the law. He was confirmed unanimously by Democrats and Republicans. Senator Schumer is about to tell Americans that Judge Gorsuch kicks puppies and heckles piano recitals. That’s hogwash. Democrats are working overtime to cast Judge Gorsuch as a reflexive partisan but, as I said when Justice Scalia died, there are no Republican or Democratic seats on the Supreme Court. This shouldn’t be a partisan debate but an opportunity to teach our kids civics. In the coming weeks, everyone who loves the Constitution should celebrate the uniquely American idea that government power must be limited and that those in power must be checked and balanced. [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 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. ↑ YouTube, "Fischer Speaks on Senate Floor about SCOTUS Nominee Neil Gorsuch," February 2, 2017
    6. ↑ Senator Deb Fischer, "Fischer statement on U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch," January 31, 2017
    7. ↑ YouTube, "Ben Sasse talke Gorsuch on the Senate floor," February 9, 2017
    8. ↑ Senator Ben Sasse, "Sasse Statement on Gorsuch Meeting," February 7, 2017
    9. ↑ YouTube, "Sasse Talks Gorsuch on CNN: 'This Is a Great Day for America,'" February 3, 2017
    10. ↑ YouTube, "Ben Sasse defends Gorsuch on MSNBC," February 1, 2017
    11. ↑ Senator Ben Sasse, "Sasse statement on Supreme Court," January 31, 2017
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