Supreme court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch has been in his senate confirmation hearings since this Monday, and in the past days, we have learned almost nothing of Gorsuch’s intentions or views. Throughout his questioning, he artfully dodged answering the questions asked and often told lighthearted fun filled anecdotes about his life rather than discussing constitutional law.
Republicans in the senate are very eager to push through the hearings and confirm Gorsuch as a supreme court justice quickly, yet democrats are reluctant to confirm Gorsuch. The Republicans hold a 52 seat majority, yet they still require more votes to reach the 60 vote they need but they still “anticipate his successful confirmation to the Supreme Court.” Throughout the hearing, Republican senators spent the time congratulating Gorsuch whereas the democrats attempted to get answers for his views on “abortion rights [and] money in politics” and he just provided various noncommittal answers. Gorsuch said it would be wrong for him to be more open about what he would do as a justice stating that it seemed more “like a campaign promise for office”
Although Gorsuch did not explicitly explain his views on certain rulings he addresses his past issues with defending waterboarding as a lawyer, claiming that it was required of him as his job and accusations over his views on maternity leave. When asked if Trump had asked him to help overturn Roe V Wade Gorsuch replies with “I would have walked out the door”
The republicans are adamant in their desicion to have Gorsuch confirmed as soon as possible but with the last senate hearing on Thursday, senator Chuck Schumer has called for democrats to hold their votes, depriving the republicans of the few they need. They have in turn “vowed Gorsuch will be confirmed even if it means overhauling the way justices have long been approved“. The democratic opposition to Gorsuch centers on the resistance over the past year of the GOP toward Obama’s pick Merrick Garland, yet the republicans have threatened to rewrite the rules if Gorsuch is not confirmed, leading democrats to be hesitant to filibuster him. Moderate democrats, on the other hand, have said: “they are hoping that the two parties can come to an agreement that leads to Gorsuch’s confirmation and the preservation of current Senate traditions“. Republicans intend to move quickly on confirming Gorsuch for the position. The Judiciary Committee intend to refer him to the full Senate on April 3 so that he can be confirmed before Easter.
