Power

Senate Judiciary Committee Delays Gorsuch Nomination

Presuming Gorsuch advances, his nomination will go to the full Senate, where Democrats have said they intend to filibuster President Trump's Supreme Court pick.

Trump nominated Gorsuch in January to fill the seat vacated by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday delayed a vote on the nomination of U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The decision came after three days of hearings in which Democrats pressed Gorsuch on his role in torture and detention policy while working for the U.S. Department of Justice during the George W. Bush administration, as well as his opinions on religious liberties and workers’ rights. Senate Democrats said at Monday’s committee hearing that information and disclosures from Gorsuch were insufficient to warrant a vote Monday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up his nomination next week. Presuming Gorsuch advances, his nomination will go to the full Senate, where Democrats have said they intend to filibuster President Trump’s Supreme Court pick. Senate Republicans have vowed to change Senate rules to prevent a filibuster and get Gorsuch on the bench.

Trump nominated Gorsuch in January to fill the seat vacated by the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016. President Obama nominated D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland, but Republicans refused to meet with Garland and stalled his nomination until after the presidential election.

CORRECTION: The teaser of this article has been updated to reflect that Gorsuch did not advance through committee.