Gorsuch Pitches Himself to Committee Members as Mainstream Judge, Family Man
Judge Neil Gorsuch pitched his legal record as mainstream in the opening remarks of his confirmation hearing on Monday, telling the Senate Judiciary Committee that 97 percent of the more than 2,700 cases he’d heard were decided unanimously and that he was in the majority 99 percent of the time.
“That’s my record, and that’s how we do things in the West,” Gorsuch said.
As one of the most conservative nominees to the court, he faces significant Democratic opposition for being too far to the right and will need to convince his critics that he’s both a mainstream conservative nominee and independent from the controversial president who nominated him.
Gorsuch's confirmation hearing began the same day FBI Director James Comey confirmed to Congress that the FBI is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with a covert Russian operation to interfere with the election.
Perhaps to soften the controversy that surrounds his nomination to a seat Republicans barred President Barack Obama from filling last year, Gorsuch introduced himself as a humble, Western family man whose values, fly fishing skills, and work ethic have deep roots.
“As my daughters never tire of reminding me, putting on a robe does not make me any smarter,” he said.
Gorsuch became emotional twice during his remarks, his voice faltering as he recounted an uncle and “hero of mine” who passed recently, and when he stopped just moments into his opening remarks to embrace wife Louise and thank her for her support.