Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced Thursday that confirmation hearings for President Donald Trump’s nominee to succeed the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Neil Gorsuch, will begin March 20.
The senator issued the following statement regarding the hearings, which are expected to last three or four days:
After consulting with the ranking member, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said today that the hearing for Judge Neil Gorsuch to be an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court will begin on March 20.
Grassley expects the hearing to last 3-4 days. Opening statements by Judiciary Committee members and the nominee will be held on Monday, March 20. The questioning of Gorsuch will begin on Tuesday, March 21. Testimony by outside legal experts, as well as the American Bar Association, is expected to follow.
“Judge Gorsuch has met every demand placed on him by the minority. He’s a mainstream judge. He’s displayed independence. He’s met with dozens of senators who have nothing but positive things to say. He is well-qualified and respected. He worked diligently to return the bipartisan questionnaire. It’s time for him to have the opportunity to speak for himself before the Judiciary Committee,” Grassley said.
The hearing date follows a similar timeline put together for Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan by former chairman Patrick Leahy. Sotomayor’s hearing was held 48 days after her nomination was announced. Kagan’s hearing was held 49 days after her nomination was announced. Gorsuch’s hearing will begin 48 days following the announcement of his nomination.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the committee, has not commented on the scheduled hearings. Grassley also released the bipartisan questionnaire with Gorsuch’s responses, as well as the accompanying documentation. Click here to browse those documents. {eoa}
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