WASHINGTON — Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was confirmed by the Senate on Friday to become the 113th justice of the Supreme Court, capping a political brawl that lasted for more than a year and tested constitutional norms inside the Capitol’s fraying upper chamber.

The moment was a triumph for President Trump, whose campaign appeal to reluctant Republicans last year rested in large part on his pledge to appoint another committed conservative to succeed Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016. However rocky the first months of his administration may have been, Mr. Trump now has a lasting legacy: Judge Gorsuch, 49, could serve on the court for 30 years or more.

“As a deep believer in the rule of law, Judge Gorsuch will serve the American people with distinction as he continues to faithfully and vigorously defend our Constitution,” the president said.

The final tally was 54-45 in favor of confirmation.

The confirmation was also a vindication of the bare-knuckled strategy of Senate Republicans, who refused even to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick, Judge Merrick B. Garland, saying the choice of the next justice should belong to the next president.</s>With Vice President Mike Pence presiding over the Senate Chamber, Judge Neil Gorsuch was confirmed by a vote of 54-45 as the newest associate justice of the Supreme Court. Judge Neil Gorsuch now occupies the former Supreme Court seat of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Three Democrats, Joe Donnelly (Indiana), Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota) and Joe Manchin (West Virginia) voted in support of the confirmation, along with all senate republicans. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia) did not vote as he is recovering from back surgery.</s>WASHINGTON — Judge Neil Gorsuch will be the 113th justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, confirmed on a 54-45 vote a little before noon Friday.



Gorsuch was confirmed on the 420th day since Justice Antonin Scalia died.

The nearly 14 months that have passed since presented countless unexpected — and some expected — developments, leading to Friday’s vote that will send a conservative appellate judge from Denver to Washington.



The confirmation is a major victory for President Trump, who nominated Gorsuch for the position, and for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, whose unwavering refusal to move on former President Obama’s nominee kept the seat open.

Gorsuch, who clerked for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy in the early 1990s, worked in the Justice Department under President George W. Bush before being nominated by him, in 2006, to a vacancy on the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit — a move that sent him back to Denver, where he was born and raised.

The Supreme Court public information office announced on Friday that Gorsuch will be sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts at a private ceremony at the court at 9 a.m. Monday morning. A public ceremony will follow at the White House, where Kennedy will administer the oath.

A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School with a doctorate in philosophy from Oxford University in England, Gorsuch will be the only justice on the court from outside the coasts — although most of his two decades from when he started undergrad until when he joined the Tenth Circuit was spent on the East Coast, in Washington, New York City, or Boston.

On the Tenth Circuit, Gorsuch developed a reputation as a conservative judge, a good colleague, and a strong writer. One of Gorsuch’s fellow Tenth Circuit judges, Judge Harris Hartz, told BuzzFeed News in March that Gorsuch is hard-working, polite, and “someone who’s willing to change his or her mind and capable of changing your mind.”

Among his most noted cases are his positions in favor of strong protection for religious liberty in both the Hobby Lobby and Little Sisters of the Poor cases involving the contraception mandate under the Affordable Care Act.



When Scalia died, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell almost immediately said the Senate would not consider any nominee put forth by Obama.

A month later, Obama nominated the widely respected chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, Merrick Garland — but McConnell, aided by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley, refused to move the nomination forward. Obama continued to press for Republicans to consider his nominee, but to no avail.

In May, Trump did the unexpected and announced a list of eleven judges who he would consider for to replace Scalia if he were to be elected. Gorsuch was not among the 11 names.

Then, in September, Trump added another 10 names to the list — including Sen. Mike Lee and, more importantly, Judge Neil Gorsuch.

While Hillary Clinton presented no list of her own, most expected her to win the election, meaning either that Garland would be confirmed in the lame-duck period in the Senate after the election or that Clinton would put forth Garland or another nominee once she took office.

Of course, that didn’t happen. Trump won the presidential election, stuck to his list, and, on Jan. 31, Trump nominated Gorsuch for the Supreme Court.

It was one of the rare moments when the president — who was in Florida at Mar-a-Lago as the Senate voted on Friday — was front in center in the nomination process.

After nearly 20 hours of questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee in March, Gorsuch’s nomination came to full Senate — where Democrats, still angry about the treatment of Garland, filibustered the nomination on Thursday. As promised, however, McConnell successfully moved to change the rules of the Senate to require only a simple majority vote to end debate on Supreme Court nominations.



All of which led to Friday’s confirmation vote, over which Vice President Mike Pence presided.

Gorsuch said that January night that the president had entrusted him with “a most solemn assignment” in nominating him for the high court.

“Standing here, in a house of history and acutely aware of my own imperfections, I pledge, if I am confirmed, I will do all my powers permit to be a faithful servant of the Constitution and laws of this great country,” he said.

Gorsuch will now have the opportunity to do that — and quickly. The current Supreme Court term remains in progress, with oral arguments yet to be heard in a handful of cases, including a case out of Missouri about whether excluding a church from participating in a specific type of governmental program can violate the Constitution’s Free Exercise Clause.</s>Neil Gorsuch Named to the U.S. Supreme Court

Divided Senate confirms conservative jurist Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, win for President Trump, Republicans.

Alabama Republican Party Chairman Terry Lathan issued the following statement regarding Judge Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court:

“During his campaign, President Trump promised the American people a new Supreme Court Justice, one that would respect the laws of our nation and fairly interpret the Constitution. Today, that promise from President Trump was fulfilled as the Senate confirmed Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court.”

“The Alabama Republican Party commends those senators who chose to expedite Judge Gorsuch’s nomination on behalf of the American people. We are proud of the strong support from Alabama’s Senators, Senator Shelby and Senator Strange, throughout the entire confirmation process. During his confirmation hearing, Judge Gorsuch proved time and time again that he is dedicated to upholding the rule of law in our nation. Through hours of questioning and strict scrutiny from Democrat senators intending only to damage his reputation, Judge Gorsuch held fast and answered every question openly and honestly.”

“We look forward to seeing an individual with such strong character, consistent judicial balance and passion for the law serve on our nation’s highest court.”

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) issued the following statement following Senate confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. “Neil Gorsuch is the perfect replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia, and I applaud the Senate for confirming him to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch has distinguished himself as a thoughtful and balanced jurist who understands it is not the job of the courts to write laws but rather to interpret the law as written. Our nation will be better off with him on the Supreme Court.”

Joining Republican colleagues in the restoration of Senate tradition, Alabama Senator Luther Strange today voted to confirm Neil Gorsuch as Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court. The final vote on Justice Gorsuch came following an unprecedented confirmation process marred by Democrats’ disregard for the Senate’s responsibility of advice and consent. Moving forward with a full bench, the Supreme Court is poised to rule for a generation with renewed devotion to the Constitution.

“For so many Americans, casting a vote last November for Donald Trump meant restoring faith in the federal judiciary. Alabamians want a high court that respects and affirms the rule of law, and because of today’s historic vote, that is what they are getting. I was proud to cast my vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch and help the President deliver on this important promise. His intellect, humility and fair judgment were displayed throughout the hearing process, and I look forward to these tremendous assets being employed on behalf of our nation’s highest court.”

U.S. Representative Martha Roby (R-Ala.) today celebrated the confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States.

“I applaud the Senate for wasting no time in confirming Justice Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. I believe our country will benefit from the new energy and experience that Justice Gorsuch will bring to the bench,” Roby said. “Throughout the confirmation process, Justice Gorsuch proved himself to be a highly capable individual who is supremely qualified for this great responsibility. I believe his stated commitment to interpreting the Constitution as it was written will hasten a long overdue return to the separation of powers and rule of law in this country.”</s>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, bringing a contentious 14-month partisan battle to a close after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The vote was 54-45 on Friday. The victory gives President Donald Trump’s 49-year-old nominee a lifetime spot on the court and his party a much-needed political win after failing to pass legislation on health care and other issues.

The final confirmation vote came after Senate Republicans rewrote the rules, voting to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold on Supreme Court nominees. The change allows the Senate to proceed to the final vote with a simple majority.

Democrats opposed Gorsuch in part because Senate Republicans blocked former President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, last year.</s>Such lovely news to awake to in New Zealand: CNN and The New York Times both report that the Senate voted along party lines to break the Democratic filibuster of proposed Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, invoking the “nuclear option.”

That option allows a filibuster (Democratic, in this case) to be stopped with a mere 51 instead of the previous 60 votes, and to do that, Republicans had to change the longstanding Senate rules. They could do both since they hold a majority in the Senate.

What this means is that in the future the majority party can simply confirm all nominees by majority vote, something the filibuster-breaking rule was designed to prevent (the Senate wanted more than a majority consensus on crucial legal issues). And I think the Democrats were justified in trying to block Gorsuch’s nomination in view of the reprehensible way Republicans treated Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland.

The Democrats might be said to have lost credibility on this issue since they themselves used the nuclear option several years ago—but for lower-court judges. The Times reports:

Senate Democrats in 2013 first changed the rules of the Senate to block Republican filibusters of presidential nominees to lower courts and to government positions, but they left the filibuster in place for Supreme Court nominees, an acknowledgment of the sacrosanct nature of the high court. That last pillar was knocked down [with yesterday’s vote] on a party-line vote, with all 52 Republicans voting to overrule Senate precedent and all 48 Democrats and liberal-leaning independents voting to keep it. The Senate then voted 55-45 to cut off debate — four votes more than needed under the new rules — and move to a final vote on Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation Friday evening, with a simple majority needed for approval.

To see how the Senator voted on both the filibuster and the “nuclear option,” go here.

Upshot: Gorsuch will be confirmed on Friday, making the Supreme Court conservative for years to come. Expect Roe v Wade to be weakened, and maybe even some sneaking in of creationism in public schools. The Republicans had no right to block Garland’s nomination, and they deserved the filibuster. And the nuclear option should not be exercised in the appointment of any federal judges, as it helps prevent courts that rule on ideology rather than the law. (Of course that is already the case with the Supreme Court, as we saw in the 2000 vote on Bush v. Gore.)</s>Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch prepares to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 21, 2017. The Senate confirmed Neil Gorsuch to become the newest associate justice on the Supreme Court Friday, April 7.

WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, bringing a contentious 14-month partisan battle to a close after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The vote was 54-45 on Friday. The victory gives President Donald Trump's 49-year-old nominee a lifetime spot on the court and his party a much-needed political win after failing to pass legislation on health care and other issues.

The final confirmation vote came after Senate Republicans rewrote the chamber's rules, voting to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold on Supreme Court nominees. The change allowed the Senate to proceed to the final vote with a simple majority.

Democrats opposed Gorsuch in part because Senate Republicans blocked former President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland, last year.</s>The US Senate has confirmed Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch in a victory for President Donald Trump.

Here’s what you need to know about the new Supreme Court Justice.

Why is there a new Supreme Court judge?

There are nine judges who sit on the Supreme Court, and they hold the position for life.

Gorsuch is replacing Justice Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016.

When will he assume the position?

Gorsuch will be sworn in as the 113th justice on Monday in separate ceremonies at the court and the White House.

Justices take two oaths, one required by the Constitution and the other set by federal law.

Chief Justice John Roberts will administer the constitutional oath to Gorsuch in a private ceremony in the justices’ conference room.

Then Justice Anthony Kennedy will ask his former law clerk and new colleague to take the second oath in a public ceremony at the White House.

What happened to the filibuster?

Senate Republicans re-wrote filibuster rules, known as invoking the “nuclear option”, in order to get Gorsuch through.

The nuclear option allowed Gorsuch to be nominated with a simple majority – he was confirmed 54 to 45 in the 100-seat Senate.

Why was there so much arguing?

In part Democrats opposed the nomination because Senate Republicans blocked former president Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland last year. The seat earmarked for Garland is now going to Gorsuch, after Trump was made President.</s>WASHINGTON (NBC News) – The Senate confirmed judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court Friday in a mostly party-line vote that reflected weeks of bruising political fighting which deepened congressional divides and changed the nature of high court appointments in the future.

Gorsuch will fill a seat that has been vacant since Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February of 2016.

While the final outcome was never in serious doubt, the confirmation process became a bitter battle in the Senate, one that had as much to do with partisan grudges as the nominee himself. When Democrats blocked the nomination on Thursday with a procedural filibuster, Republicans responded by making a dramatic and historic change in the Senate rules to allow Gorsuch and all future Supreme Court nominees to pass through the Senate with a simple 51-vote majority instead of the previous 60-vote threshold.

Since President Donald Trump appointed Gorsuch in January, Republicans have praised the 10th circuit court of appeals judge as a mainstream jurist qualified to sit on the high court.

Democrats, meanwhile, raised concerns about Gorsuch’s ideology, pointing to cases where he sided with corporations over individuals. They also expressed concern over how he might rule on abortion cases, including any challenge to Roe v. Wade.

Democratic opposition to Gorsuch was also fueled by anger over Republicans’ blockade of President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland to replace Scalia. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to consider Garland’s nomination in the last Congressional session, citing the election-year politics.

McConnell correctly bet that a Republican might win the presidency and nominate a replacement for Scalia but the move further eroded trust in the Senate and set the stage for the rules change.

And that change could have far-ranging impacts for the future of the court itself. Removing the previous 60-vote threshold means that the majority party has less incentive to find nominees that will garner moderate support and more ideological judges will have an easier path to confirmation in the future when one party holds both the White House and the Senate majority.

While Both Republicans and Democrats mourn a loss of collegiality, both sides — except for a few Democrats — voted along party lines to support their parties’ escalation tactics.</s>iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — In a historic moment, the Senate on Friday voted 54-45 along party lines to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court as the 113th justice, marking the end to a bitter, partisan battle in the Senate.

Gorsuch, 49, who served as judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, was nominated to the bench by President Trump in January.

The nation’s highest court now has its full complement of nine justices for the first time since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016.
Neil Gorsuch is confirmed as the 113th justice of the Supreme Court of the United States by a 54–45 vote in the United States Senate after invocation of the "nuclear option".