It has now been over 400 days since the late Justice Antonin Scalia passed away and a potential replacement is finally getting a hearing before the Senate. On Monday, March 20, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch at 11 a.m. EDT.
Gorsuch testify Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Monday will consist of opening statements from committee members and Gorsuch, and outside witnesses are scheduled to testify before the committee on Thursday.
President Donald Trump announced Gorsuch as his pick to fill Scalia’s seat on January 31. The president said it fulfilled his campaign promise to nominate an originalist to the Supreme Court — to replace Scalia with someone who shares his legal philosophy.
Gorsuch, who was previously appointed by George W. Bush to serve on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, believes in a more literal interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and was ranked by a study from Mercer University as the second-closest to Scalia of the 21 prospective picks.
Going into Monday’s hearing, Gorsuch may find that his confirmation to the Supreme Court will not be as easy as his confirmation to the Tenth Circuit, which was approved by a voice vote on the Senate floor. Republicans and Democrats are expected to make it quite the partisan show:
Some online feel Gorsuch’s nomination was not legitimate because former President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, was never given a hearing. Republicans stalled Garland’s confirmation proceedings, pointing to the fact that it was an election year.
Others, including former Vice President Joe Biden, have urged Democrats not to follow down the same road of obstructionism.
Online, Gorsuch’s nomination and hearing have received mixed responses from both users and media outlets:
The hearings will give the American people greater insight into who Neil Gorsuch is and what type of Supreme Court justice he could be.
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