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

U.S. senators from West Virginia 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 West Virginia on Neil Gorsuch's nomination

    Shelley Moore Capito (R)

    Senator Capito spoke with station WBOY about the Supreme Court nomination:[5]


    Capito released the following statement after meeting with Judge Gorsuch in Capito's Senate office:[6]

    “

    It was an honor to meet with Judge Neil Gorsuch this morning. He is a mainstream judge who follows the law and the Constitution, and strives to do the right thing. I was very impressed with his demeanor, his intellect and his background, and was happy to hear him stress the importance of being a careful listener. I believe the President made an excellent choice. I will be voting to confirm Judge Gorsuch and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

    I was also glad to learn Judge Gorsuch has whitewater rafted on the Gauley and New rivers in West Virginia. I invite him to return to West Virginia with his family soon.[3]

    		”

    Capito issued the following statement on January 31, 2017:[7]

    “

    Judge Neil Gorsuch is a well-respected, seasoned judge with unparalleled qualifications and experience. In 2006, Judge Gorsuch was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit by the Senate without a single dissenting vote. He has a strong record of putting the rule of law first and carefully considering the text and history of the Constitution. West Virginians and the American people had an opportunity to weigh in, now the Senate should fairly and thoroughly consider Judge Gorsuch and act on his nomination.[3]

    		”

    Joe Manchin (D)

    Senator Manchin was interviewed by Bloomberg on February 2, 2017:[8]


    Manchin was interviewed by MSNBC about the nomination.[9]

    Manchin was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox Business Network about the nomination.[10]

    In a video released on the website TMZ, Manchin was asked about the nomination process.[11]


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

    “

    Senators have a constitutional obligation to advise and consent on a nominee to fill this Supreme Court vacancy and, simply put, we have a responsibility to do our jobs as elected officials. Just as I did when Merrick Garland was nominated, I look forward to evaluating Judge Neil Gorsuch’s qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court. I still believe we must evaluate Judge Gorsuch’s record, legal qualifications and judicial philosophy. The Senate should hold committee hearings; Senators should meet with him, we should debate his qualifications on the Senate floor and cast whatever vote we believe he deserves. I look forward to meeting with Judge Gorsuch, examining his record, and making a determination of whether to provide my consent. Just as I have all along, I urge my colleagues to put partisan politics aside and allow the vetting process to proceed.[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, "Capito Speaks with WBOY about Meeting with Supreme Court Nominee," February 3, 2017
    6. ↑ Senator Shelley Moore Capito, "Capito meets with Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch," February 2, 2017
    7. ↑ Senator Shelley Moore Capito, "Capito statement on the nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court," January 31, 2017
    8. ↑ YouTube, "Senator Manchin: Democrats Should Meet Gorsuch and Give Him a Vote," February 2, 2017
    9. ↑ YouTube, "Joe Manchin: We Should Give Neil Gorsuch A Chance," February 1, 2017
    10. ↑ YouTube, "Sen. Manchin: I’d like to see 60-vote rule apply to everything," February 1, 2017
    11. ↑ YouTube, "Senator Joe Manchin: I'll give Judge Gorsuch a fair shake," February 1, 2017
    12. ↑ Senator Joe Manchin, "Manchin statement on President's Supreme Court nominee," January 31, 2017
    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=U.S._senators_from_West_Virginia_on_Neil_Gorsuch%27s_nomination&oldid=10228859"