The Senate Judiciary Committee, Through History
As Day Two of Neil Gorsuch’s confirmation hearing gets underway, here’s a quick look back at the history of the committee’s work vetting nominees for the high court.
According to the Congressional Research Service, since its creation in 1816, the Senate Judiciary Committee has reported 106 Supreme Court nominations to the full Senate. Seven of those nominees were reported unfavorably — meaning that the panel voted not to endorse the nominee but to give the full Senate the final choice of whether or not the pick should be confirmed.
The most recent unfavorably reported nomination was Robert Bork's in 1987. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas's nomination in 1991 was reported without a recommendation at all after a deadlock in the committee.
Most of the time, the full Senate has agreed with the Judiciary Committee's favorable assessments when it votes on nominees, but not always! Three times in the 20th century, the full Senate has disagreed — including in 1968, when lawmakers nixed the confirmation of Abe Fortas to be the Chief Justice of the court even after the committee gave him a green light.
Supreme Court confirmation hearings have received gavel-to-gavel television coverage since 1981, when Sandra Day O’Connor was nominated to the court.