Written By: Grace Graves
Political and Government Correspondent
Last Monday, federal appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch was sworn into the Supreme Court in a 54-45 vote. This confirmation comes after much contention about his nomination from many Democrats in Congress.
President Donald Trump praised Gorsuch in a formal statement released by the White House saying, “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.”
Three Democrats crossed party lines to vote for Gorsuch’s confirmation. The Democrats include Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga, and a strong Gorsuch supporter, did not vote due to health issues.
The new Associate Justice has a long career ahead of him, as the 49 year old holds a lifelong appointment. He will be a key vote in many critical cases coming up.
Gorsuch follows the late Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative favorite, who passed away suddenly in February 2016.
Gorsuch and his wife Louise have two children. He received a B.A. from Columbia University, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a D.Phil. from Oxford University. President Donald Trump nominated him at the end of January.
Bio
Grace Graves is a political communication major. She is the president of Bryan College’s Turning Point USA chapter and serves as a political correspondent on the paper. When she isn’t reading about current events, you can probably find her at your closest coffee shop worrying about her future. You can follow her on Twitter @gracegraves2 or connect with her on LinkedIn (please endorse her skills).
