washington president donald trump tuesday nominate neil gorsuch lifetime job u.s. supreme court pick 49-year-old federal appeal court judge restore court conservative majority help shape rule divisive issue abortion gun control death penalty religious right colorado native face potentially contentious confirmation battle u.s. senate republicans last year refuse consider democratic president barack obama nominee fill vacancy cause february 2016 death conservative justice antonin scalia senate top democrat chuck schumer indicate party would mount procedural hurdle require 60 vote 100-seat senate rather simple majority approve gorsuch express serious doubt nominee liberal group call all-out fight reject gorsuch conservative group republican senators heap praise like outstanding impressive home run gorsuch son former reagan administration official young nominee nation high court quarter century could influence direction court decades judge denver-based 10th u.s. circuit court appeal appoint post republican president george w. bush 2006. announce selection nighttime crowd white house east room flank judge wife trump say gorsuch resume good get trump take office jan. 20 spark numerous controversies say hop republicans democrats come together nomination good country judge gorsuch outstanding legal skills brilliant mind tremendous discipline earn bipartisan support trump tell audience include scalia widow depend age justice active 50 years decisions last century often permanent trump add gorsuch consider conservative intellectual know back religious right write euthanasia assist suicide see much mold scalia lead conservative voice court decades respect ... fact legal order congress court write new laws gorsuch say trump look role judge apply alter work people representatives judge like every outcome reach likely bad judge stretch result prefer rather law demand senior administration official speak condition anonymity say choice gorsuch see white house significant departure supreme court nominations recent past give many justices come eastern unite state gorsuch live boulder colorado raise horse life-long outdoorsman official say screen committee help selection process include vice president mike pence white house counsel mcgahn chief staff reince priebus top strategist steve bannon gorsuch become young u.s. supreme court nominee since republican president george h.w bush 1991 select conservative clarence thomas 43 time gorsuch 1991 graduate class harvard law school obama selection gorsuch list 20 judge suggest conservative legal activists unify republicans way see since trump nov. election victory even critics within party south carolina senator lindsey graham sing nominee praise trump make choice two u.s. appeal court judge gorsuch thomas hardiman philadelphia-based 3rd u.s. circuit court appeal accord source involve selection process senate confirm gorsuch current judgeship 2006 voice vote one vote democrats signal may easy time judge gorsuch repeatedly side corporations work people demonstrate hostility toward women right trouble hew ideological approach jurisprudence make skeptical strong independent justice court schumer say trump get opportunity name scalia replacement republican-led senate action little precedent u.s. history refuse consider obama nominee post appeal court judge merrick garland obama nominate garland march 16 republican senators lead majority leader mitch mcconnell deny garland customary confirmation hear vote first time american history one party blockade nominee almost year order deliver seat president party tactic reward rather resist set dangerous new precedent american governance oregon democratic senator jeff merkley say mcconnell say tuesday hop senate would show gorsuch fair consideration respect result recent election up-or-down vote nomination like senate treat four first-term nominees democratic presidents bill clinton obama rally outside supreme court build stag liberal group draw hundreds demonstrators gorsuch michael keegan president liberal advocacy group people american way describe gorsuch ideological warrior put right-wing politics constitution gorsuch son anne burford first woman head u.s. environmental protection agency serve republican president ronald reagan administration resign 1983 amid fight congress document epa use fund create clean toxic waste dump nationwide trump selection one consequential appointments young presidency move restore conservative majority supreme court place decades scalia die age 79 feb. 13 2016. trump fellow republicans hold 52-48 senate majority mean democratic vote would need confirm pick current rule trump say last week would favor senate republicans eliminate procedural move democrats promise call filibuster supreme court nominees democrats block pick change dub nuclear option trump say promise appoint conservative justice one reason nov. presidential election christian conservatives others emphasize importance pick campaign confirm gorsuch would expand court conservative wing make john roberts anthony kennedy samuel alito thomas kennedy long consider court pivotal vote sometimes side liberals key case june 2016 rule strike abortion restrictions texas court restore conservative majority likely would supportive toward death penalty gun right hostile toward campaign finance limit scalia replacement also could pivotal case involve abortion religious right presidential power transgender right vote right federal regulations others gorsuch boast ivy league credentials attend columbia university like several justices court harvard law school also complete doctorate legal philosophy oxford university spend several years private practice work george w. bush justice department gorsuch join opinion 2013 say owners private company could object religious ground provision obamacare health insurance law require employers provide coverage birth control women long kennedy four liberals remain bench court expect pare back abortion right many u.s. conservatives fervently hope supreme court legalize abortion landmark 1973 roe v. wade rule june justices rule 5-3 strike texas law restrict abortion access kennedy liberals majority current vacancy court long since 391-day void 1969 1970 republican richard nixon presidency abe fortas resign court may 1969 senate vote two nominees put forward nixon confirm harry blackmun become justice june 1970. aside one supreme court vacancy since u.s. civil war years 1860s long current one trump may get make additional appointments liberal justice ruth bad ginsburg trump call upon resign last july call faker 83 kennedy 80. stephen breyer another liberal 78 correct disciple discipline paragraph trump pick conservative judge gorsuch supreme court