With 54 votes, the Senate has confirmed Neil Gorsuch to serve as the 113th U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Gorsuch will be replacing Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February of 2016 and is said to be sworn-in in the following days so he could work during the upcoming weeks of this final term. Gorsuch was announced as Trump’s nominee and earned the respect of Republican Senators over the past three months. It only took a short 65 days for his confirmation, but the bipartisan opposition of the past week started with a filibuster and the Republican’s historical decision to go “nuclear“, essentially lowering the number of votes needed for Gorsuch to be confirmed. Changing the rules of the Senate was a major contributor to Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation, and many people argued that he was unfit because of the inability to obtain the 60 votes needed.
Despite Gorsuch’s experience as a law clerk for the Supreme Court, acclaimed lawyer, and graduate of Columbia, Harvard and Oxford, Democrats still believe he is unworthy of the position because of his opinion on women’s rights, preference to side with big corporations and evasive answers given during multiple hearings. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer said that “the consequences for the Senate and for the future of the Supreme Court will be far-reaching.” Donald Trump’s administration sees this as a victory, possibly the first one in a very long time.
.@VP: "The nomination of Neil M. #Gorsuch of Colorado to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is confirmed." pic.twitter.com/WLx6oD3t8c
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 7, 2017
Although Gorsuch has conservative beliefs similar to that of Justice Antonin Scalia, their differences must also be noted. “While Scalia was enormously well-liked and admired by fellow justices, his harsh written rhetoric sometimes diminished his influence internally on the court. Gorsuch, in contrast, is known for his clear writing, but not for a harsh or dismissive writing style, and that could make him an influential justice on a court that is often closely divided on some major issues.”
Now with 9 justices, the court is back to a 5-4 ratio on ideological decisions. The Supreme Court has officially tilted towards the conservative side, and Gorsuch can very well make or break a decision once he takes oath on Monday.
