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

    John Cornyn (R)

    Senator Cornyn delivered the following speech from the Senate floor on February 27, 2017:[5]


    Cornyn delivered the following speech from the Senate floor on February 1, 2017:[6]

    Cornyn released the following statement on January 31, 2017:[7]

    “

    Judge Gorsuch is an excellent choice to serve as our next Supreme Court Justice. A jurist of the highest caliber, he has served with distinction and a demonstrated commitment to the rule of law.

    The American people made clear last November that they wanted a judge who would interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. I’m confident that Judge Gorsuch will follow Justice Scalia’s example, adhering to the Constitution and fairly applying the law on behalf of all Americans.

    The President has picked a mainstream nominee unanimously supported by Democrats in the past. I hope my colleagues across the aisle will allow an up-or-down vote on this bipartisan, highly qualified nominee. [3]

    		”

    Ted Cruz (R)

    Senator Cruz released the following statement after meeting with Judge Gorsuch in Cruz's Senate office:[8]

    “

    Judge Neil Gorsuch is an impressive jurist who takes seriously his obligation to interpret the law and to follow the Constitution. One of the things I was most encouraged about, when talking with him today, was his understanding that the job of a judge, as outlined in Article III of the Constitution, is simply to apply the law. And he contrasted that to the job of Congress, as outlined in Article I, which is to pass laws.

    We need judges who understand this distinction, who do not think that when you put on a robe, you suddenly get to enact whatever policies or laws you might personally favor. That’s the judicial humility that used to be characteristic of the Supreme Court. Judge Gorsuch understands the critical, yet limited role of a judge which is to apply the law, not to decree whatever policies that particular judge might favor. [3]

    		”

    Cruz was interviewed on Fox and Friends on February 1, 2017, about the Supreme Court nomination:[9]

    Cruz was interviewed on CNN on January 31, 2017, about the Supreme Court nomination:[10]

    Cruz was interviewed on Fox News on January 31, 2017, about the Supreme Court nomination:[11]

    Cruz issued the following statement on January 31, 2017:[12]

    “

    Last year, after the unexpected passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Republicans drew a line in the sand on the behalf of the American people. Exercising our constitutional authority, we advised President Obama that we would not consent to a Supreme Court nominee until We the People, in the presidential election, were able to choose between an originalist and a progressive vision of the Constitution.

    In November, the People spoke, clearly. They elected President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly promised to nominate a justice firmly committed to the following the law and the original understanding of the Constitution. Today, with the nomination of the Honorable Neil Gorsuch from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, President Trump has fulfilled that promise, and the rule of law will be all the better for it.

    Like the renowned justice he is set to replace, Judge Gorsuch is brilliant and immensely talented. He has impeccable qualifications, having clerked at the Supreme Court, excelled in private practice, served at the highest levels of the Justice Department, and garnered a stellar reputation over the past decade as an appellate judge. More importantly, though, he also mirrors Justice Scalia in that he has a proven track record of honoring the Constitution, following the text of the law, and refraining from imposing his policy preferences from the bench. As a result of his fidelity to law, he has proven to be a champion of federalism, the constitutional separation of powers, religious liberty, and all of the fundamental liberties enshrined in our Bill of Rights. I couldn’t be happier with his selection.

    Indeed, I wholeheartedly applaud President Trump for nominating Judge Gorsuch. Our country desperately needs Supreme Court justices who revere the Constitution and are willing to elevate it over their own personal preferences, and Judge Gorsuch has demonstrated that faithfulness. Eleven years ago, the Senate was so confident in Judge Gorsuch’s abilities that it confirmed him by voice vote. In the time since, he has shown himself worthy of that distinction, and I would hope that my Senate colleagues give him the respect he deserves this time around, as well, and support his confirmation. [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. ↑ Senator John Cornyn, "Cornyn: Gorsuch Following the ‘Ginsburg Standard’ of Previous Court Nominees," February 27, 2017
    6. ↑ YouTube, "Judge Gorsuch: Qualified, Principled, and Mainstream," February 1, 2017
    7. ↑ Senator John Cornyn, "Cornyn statement of President Trump's Supreme Court announcement," January 31, 2017
    8. ↑ Senator Ted Cruz, "Sen. Cruz: Judge Gorsuch Takes Seriously His Obligation to Interpret the Law and Follow the Constitution," February 2, 2017
    9. ↑ YouTube, "Sen. Cruz on Fox and Friends Discussing Supreme Court Nominee Judge Gorsuch," February 1, 2017
    10. ↑ YouTube, "Sen. Ted Cruz: 'I think Judge Gorsuch is a home run...,'" January 31, 2017
    11. ↑ YouTube, "Tucker Carlson: Ted Cruz says Judge Neil Gorsuch is a 'home run' SCOTUS pick," January 31, 2017
    12. ↑ Senator Ted Cruz, "Sen. Cruz issues statement on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court," January 31, 2017
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