White House photo – Trump with Gorsuches, Pences and Scalia's wife and son after nomination
WASHINGTON – While many are comparing the obvious similarities between the late Antonin Scalia and Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch, Quartz.com writes there is one key difference:
For all of their similarities, the two justices present an important difference to keep in mind: Gorsuch is even more conservative. His strictness is most evident in a 2016 concurring opinion about administrative law, which is not usually considered a controversial area of practice.
And although members of Congress won't have a say in whether President Trump's Supreme Court nominee will be confirmed, they're not shy about expressing their opinions about the pick.
GOP Congressman Peter Roskam (IL-06) said he is confident Gorsuch will uphold the law "fairly, literally and indiscriminately."
“President Trump honored Justice Scalia’s memory last night by nominating an originalist who has dedicated his career to the rule of law to serve on the nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch is a man of integrity, accomplishment, and humility," Roskam said in a statement. "I am confident he will win confirmation to the Supreme Court, where he will spend the next few decades upholding the law fairly, literally, and indiscriminately.”
Congressman Randy Hultgren (IL-14) said Trump's choice is a "strong pick."
“I commend President Trump for his strong pick for the Supreme Court in Judge Neil Gorsuch. Judge Gorsuch’s demonstrated defense of life and religious liberty is encouraging, and his record shows he is a strong defender of the Constitution," Hultgren said.
"In 2006, he was confirmed by the Senate to a seat on the Tenth Circuit of Appeals without a single vote of opposition—neither in committee nor in the full chamber. Not a single Democratic Chair or leader opposed him. I look forward to the Senate vetting and confirming Judge Gorsuch swiftly. Obstructing his confirmation would be partisan politics at its worst.”
Democrat Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) said Trump's nominee has "extreme views that would erode the rights of Americans."
"…President Donald Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to a stolen Supreme Court seat. Senate Republicans demonstrated an unprecedented disdain for President Obama and our Constitution by denying Judge Merrick Garland even a hearing. Now, they are seeking to move a controversial nominee with extreme views that would erode the rights of Americans," Schakowsky said in a statement.
Judge Neil Gorsuch's record puts him on the wrong side of issues ranging from workers’ rights and safety to equal pay, from consumer protection to environmental safeguards, she said.
"In his ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, Judge Gorsuch allowed employers to discriminate women and their healthcare. President Trump has made it no secret that he wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. Gorsuch's record on women's health should give women and men across America great concern," Schakowsky said.
She went on to emphasize that nothing must limit women's access to abortion.
"Women's access to healthcare must be strengthened, not weakened or dismantled. Let us remember that the Supreme Court's decision of Roe v. Wade was not the beginning of women having abortions in America. It was the end of women dying from abortions in America.”
