Meanwhile, Gorsuch confirmed by simple majority vote 54-45
In big win for Trump, Senate approves his conservative court pick
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKBN1791GR
The Republican-led Senate on Friday gave Donald Trump the biggest triumph of his young presidency, confirming his Supreme Court nominee over stout Democratic opposition and restoring a conservative majority on the highest U.S. judicial body.
The Senate, which last year refused to consider Democratic former President Barack Obama's nominee to the court, voted 54-45 to approve Republican Trump's pick, Colorado-based federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch, to the lifetime job. Three Democrats joined the Republicans in voting for Gorsuch.
Gorsuch's confirmation ends the longest Supreme Court vacancy since 1862 during the American Civil War, with the court down a justice for almost 14 months since long-serving conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died on Feb. 13, 2016.
"Judge Gorsuch's confirmation process was one of the most transparent and accessible in history, and his judicial temperament, exceptional intellect, unparalleled integrity and record of independence makes him the perfect choice to serve on the nation's highest court," Trump said in a statement.
"He's going to make an incredible addition to the court," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor.
Illustrating the importance of the moment, Vice President Mike Pence served as the Senate's presiding officer during the vote to confirm Gorsuch, who also worked in Republican former President George W. Bush's Justice Department and is the son of the first woman to head the Environmental Protection Agency.
Republicans, possessing a 52-48 Senate majority, on Thursday overcame a ferocious Democratic effort to block a confirmation vote, resorting to a rule change known as the "nuclear option."
"Today, for the first time in history, the theft of a Supreme Court seat has been completed, profoundly damaging the integrity of the court," said Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley, referring to Republicans casting aside Obama's nominee Merrick Garland, who would have tilted the court to the left for the first time in decades.
The Senate's approval of Gorsuch reinstates the nine-seat court's 5-4 conservative majority, fulfilling an important Trump campaign promise.
Gorsuch, 49, was the youngest Supreme Court nominee since Republican President George H.W. Bush in 1991 picked Clarence Thomas, who was 43 at the time. Gorsuch could be expected to serve for decades, while Trump could make further appointments to the high court to make it even more solidly conservative because three of the eight justices are 78 or older.
Three Democratic senators up for re-election in 2018 in states won by Trump last year - Indiana's Joe Donnelly, West Virginia's Joe Manchin and North Dakota's Heidi Heitkamp - voted for Gorsuch. Republican Senator Johnny Isakson missed the vote while recovering from back surgery.
Gorsuch's confirmation gave a boost to Trump, showing he can get important agenda items through a Congress controlled by his fellow Republicans after the House of Representatives last month failed to pass healthcare overhaul legislation. Trump is planning major tax cut legislation as well.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by misterx
Site Information
About Us
- RonPaulForums.com is an independent grassroots outfit not officially connected to Ron Paul but dedicated to his mission. For more information see our Mission Statement.
Connect With Us