Senate Confirms Gorsuch to the Supreme Court

After more than twelve months of Republicans shirking their constitutional duties, the Senate confirmed Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch to serve in the U.S. Supreme Court. Prior nominee Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Obama, never received a vote. Sadly, Republicans elected not to govern and preferred not to have a full court because their loyalties were to their party and not the American people, many of whom rely on Supreme Court cases that directly impact their daily lives.

In order to confirm Gorsuch, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell facilitated the overturning of decades of necessary precedent that previously required bipartisanship to send judges to the bench. McConnell followed in the footsteps of former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) who overturned Senate voting rules (from 60 vote threshold to 51) to confirm Obama appointments to federal judgeships. McConnell staged a similar vote earlier in the week to allow the Senate to confirm nominees with only 51% of the vote.

Hailed as the 'world's most deliberative legislative body,' the Senate failed to deliberate and or exercise much forethought on the longterm ramification of their actions. The final vote tally was 54 -45. Three Democrats more concerned with reelection than serving the best interest of the American people voted in favor of Gorsuch. The three Democrats voting to confirm Gorsuch were: Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana. 

Gorsuch becomes the 113th justice of the Supreme Court, and he is expected to fill the fringe right shoes of his predecessor Antonin Sclalia