The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
On April 7, President Trump’s nominee, Neil M. Gorsuch, was confirmed by the senate to become the 113th justice of the United States Supreme Court.
This is the second presidential nomination to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. The first nominee, Judge Merrick Garland was nominated by former President Obama in March 2016.
Senate Republicans did not take up the issue for nearly a year, choosing instead to wait until after the presidential election in which they hoped would result in a Republican presidency and nomination.
Senate Democrats fought against the nomination of Gorsuch with a filibuster, which would have required the senate to acquire a minimum of 60 votes to approve the nominee, instead of a simple majority of 51 votes.
Republicans responded by voting to change the rules of senate proceedings, often referred to as the nuclear option. The change in rules means filibusters can no longer be used against appointments to the supreme court or the federal judiciary.
Gorsuch was approved with a final vote of 54-45.
John Blakeman, professor of political science and chair of the department, said that the controversy over Gorsuch’s approval was more about who nominated him than it was about Gorsuch’s qualification as a Supreme Court Justice.
Blakeman said, “He is very well educated, he was a lower federal court of appeals judge, he had a stellar reputation. In most political times a lot of Democrats would have voted for him.”
Blakeman said that getting rid of the filibuster option, “arguably may split the senate in half and it might encourage presidents to support supreme court nominees who are a little more radical and less towards the political middle.”
Results from this change in rules may become visible sooner than later.
Senator Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on April 20 that he expected there to be a vacancy in the supreme court this summer, referring to a rumored retirement of one of the current justices.
If there were another Supreme Court nomination by President Trump, Republicans would have an easier time approving the nomination, as they currently hold 54 of senate seats.
Connor Schoelzel
Reporter
Connor.l.schoelzel@yahoo.com
