Leahy Grills Gorsuch On Muslim Ban
Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy grilled Judge Gorsuch on the matter of travel bans, referring to both the president's campaign promises to fully ban all Muslims from entering the U.S. and the two executive orders the president signed banning certain refugees and individuals from several Muslim-majority nations.
Gorsuch declined to comment as it resembled cases currently being heard in federal courts across the country, but the longtime Democratic senator pressed on and asked about the issue repeatedly.
“Is a blanket religious test, is that consistent with the First Amendment?” Leahy asked again.
"We have a free exercise clause, which protects the free exercise of religious liberties by all persons in this country," he said. "If you’re asking how I would apply it to a specific case, I can’t talk about that for obvious reasons.”
Gorsuch deflected repeatedly, but became heated when insisting that any ruling from his bench would be just.
“Anyone, any law is going to get a fair square deal with me,” he said. “My job is to treat every litigant as I would wish to be treated.”
Asked again if he believed the president's national security directives were subject to judicial review, as the president has complained of previously, and Gorsuch answered simply: "No man is above the law.”