The Senate confirmation process is underway for President Donald Trump’s pick on Tuesday to fill the nearly year-long Supreme Court vacancy. Federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s nominee, is unknown to most Americans. However, his GOP supporters are peddling him to their political base as a solid conservative who will defend their views and values from the bench.
Here are five things to know about Judge Gorsuch:
1 Obamacare contraception requirement
Perhaps best known, Gorsuch sided with supporters of religious freedom rights in the legal battles of Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor against the requirement for contraception coverage in the Affordable Care Act.
2 Assisted suicide
Gorsuch wrote a book titled The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in which he argues against assisted suicide laws.
3 Federal regulations
One of the reasons conservatives back Gorsuch’s nomination is that he questions longstanding legal precedent that they believe grants government too much regulatory power, according to Politico.
His opinion in an immigration case in August 2016 pleased the right. He argued that judges—not federal agencies—should interpret ambiguous laws.
4 Family roots in government
The judge’s mother, Anne Burford Gorsuch, oversaw the Environmental Protection Agency during Ronald Reagan’s first term. She was pressured to step down over allegations of mismanaging a $1.6 billion toxic waste cleanup program and a pending criminal investigation.
5 Obama connection
Gorsuch attended Harvard Law with former President Barack Obama.
SOURCE: Politico, Fox News, Washington Post
SEE ALSO:
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Dead At 79
Trump Picks All White Supreme Court Nominees
5 Things To Know About Neil Gorsuch was originally published on newsone.com
