At the first day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch, Republicans praised the nominee while Democrats scrutinized the judge and the circumstances surrounding the hearing.
“I am deeply disappointed that it is under these circumstances that we begin these hearings,” Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, said. She added that Gorsuch was only sitting before them due to the “unprecedented treatment” of Judge Merrick Garland.
The nomination of Garland, former President Barack Obama’s nominee for the high court, was blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who determined that the next president should nominate the new judge.
