Last night, in what critics are likening to a scene straight out of The Bachelor, Donald Trump nominated conservative Denver justice, Neil Gorsuch, to the vacant seat on the Supreme Court.
Gorsuch, if confirmed, will be filling the seat left vacant by Justice Antonin Scalia after his death in February. Gorsuch is labeled as a staunch conservative who would fulfill the role similar to the way Scalia did with sharp, conservative opinions.
Gorsuch teaches at the University of Colorado law school, which is largely progressive, but he is lauded for his fairness when it comes to applying the law and rooting for the underdog, according to Time.
Recently, Gorsuch publicly sided with the groups that challenged the requirements of employer-provided healthcare including contraception. He also has written against physician-assisted suicide. He believes that the constitution should be interpreted using the perspective of its authors
“A judge who reaches every outcome he wishes is likely a very bad judge,” he said in his speech Tuesday night.
He is also known as being straightforward and a proponent of making the legal system more accessible for people—financially and through their understanding of what laws mean.
In his announcement Trump praised Gorsuch for his ability, saying he was “who our country really needs, and needs badly, to ensure the rule of law and the rule of justice.”
Gorsuch would be the only Protestant on the court and would be the youngest nominee in the last 25 years—justices serve lifelong terms.
In the wake of the announcement, there is talk of Senate Democrats beginning a filibuster to block the nomination because former President Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the seat in March and never received a hearing—Trump has encouraged Republicans to move forward and change the rules against filibustering, according to The New York Times.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer released a statement saying, “Make no mistake, Senate Democrats will not simply allow but require an exhaustive, robust, and comprehensive debate on Judge Gorsuch’s fitness to be a Supreme Court Justice.”
