Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

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

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
See also: Supreme Court vacancy, 2017: An overview

Portal:Legislative Branch
Features of Congress
Definitions
Classes of United States Senators • President Pro Tempore of the Senate • United States Speaker of the House • Filibuster • Reconciliation • Vote-a-ramas • Parliamentarian • Christmas tree bill
Notable events
Key votes • Presidential addresses
Elections
Election dates • Filing requirements for congressional candidates • Filling vacancies in Senate • Filling vacancies in House
Campaign finance
Federal Election Commission • Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee • National Republican Congressional Committee • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee • National Republican Senatorial Committee
Sessions
119th Congress
118th • 117th • 116th • 115th • 114th • 113th • 112th • 111th • 110th

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 Oklahoma on Neil Gorsuch's nomination

    Jim Inhofe (R)

    Senator Inhofe made the following remarks from the Senate floor:[5]

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

    “

    President Trump’s selection of Neil Gorsuch to fill the late Antonin Scalia’s seat on the Supreme Court not only fills the bench but does so with a smart, thoughtful, constitutional conservative,” Inhofe said. “Gorsuch’s work as a judge on the Denver-based Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals has displayed a judicial philosophy expected of all Supreme Court Justices and I believe he will show a respect for the role of the court as outlined by the Constitution. Gorsuch’s educational background is outstanding, having attended Columbia University and Harvard Law School in addition to completing a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from University College at Oxford. Gorsuch has most notably penned opinions, later affirmed by the Supreme Court, in defense of religious freedom as in the case of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. By all accounts Gorsuch is a remarkably intelligent and compassionate man who will uphold the Constitution on the high court for years to come. I am pleased with the president’s selection of Gorsuch. I look forward to receiving his nomination in the Senate and confirming him to the high court swiftly. [3]

    		”

    James Lankford (R)

    Senator Lankford gave the following speech from the Senate floor on February 3, 2017:[7]

    Senator Lankford released the following video on February 1, 2017:[8]

    Senator Lankford issued the following statement on January 31, 2017:[9]

    “

    Many Americans went to the polls last November to not only vote for the President, but to make their voice heard on the direction of the highest court in the land. The American people have spoken on the future of the Supreme Court. We now have a nominee in Judge Gorsuch who has an impressive record of interpreting the law without trying to legislate from the bench. Judge Gorsuch was confirmed unanimously by the Senate to the 10th Circuit. Based on his past legal opinions, Judge Gorsuch understands that the Supreme Court must act within its constitutional role as a third and independent branch of the federal government. I am particularly impressed by Gorsuch’s legal opinions on federal regulations and the 1984 Chevron deference case, which wrongly tilted regulatory interpretation towards executive agencies and paved the way for the growth in consolidated power of the executive branch.

    The 2016 election was loud and contentious, but our path forward as a country has been settled. Americans chose President Trump and they also chose his nominees for his cabinet and the Supreme Court. It's time to move beyond the obstruction, stall tactics, and delays so that the government of the people and by the people can operate for the people. Republicans and Democrats worked together to confirm most of President Obama’s cabinet nominees in the first week of his presidency–for Trump, only three cabinet members have been confirmed to date. The entire Senate should lead America towards civility and unity—we can start by giving this president the same courtesy that previous presidents have received on his cabinet and his Supreme Court nominee. [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 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, "Inhofe speaks on Senate floor in support of Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch," February 6, 2017
    6. ↑ Senator James Inhofe, "Inhofe statement on Neil Gorsuch for SCOTUS," January 31, 2017
    7. ↑ YouTube, "Lankford Speech on Pres. Trump’s SCOTUS Nominee Gorsuch & Cabinet Nominees DeVos, Sessions & Pruitt," February 3, 2017
    8. ↑ YouTube, "Senator Lankford discusses Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch," February 1, 2017
    9. ↑ Senator James Lankford, "Senator Lankford: The American people have spoken on the future of the Supreme Court," January 31, 2017
    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=U.S._senators_from_Oklahoma_on_Neil_Gorsuch%27s_nomination&oldid=10228869"