Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Wednesday praised Judge Neil Gorsuch’s calm and even-keeled demeanor during his Senate confirmation hearings this week and blasted Democrats for trying to “invent” reasons to delay seating him on the Supreme Court.
After reciting a number of press stories giving Gorsuch high marks for his performance, keeping his composure, and responding thoughtfully to questions Tuesday, McConnell, R-Ky., said Democrats have no excuse to try to delay his confirmation.
“I hope our Democratic friends take notice and give him the fair consideration he deserves, not invent more excuses not to,” he said. “Because Judge Gorsuch has performed exceedingly well, Democrats are desperately trying to invent reasons to delay the process just as they have done all year on other nominations.”
The Judiciary Wednesday is holding its third day of hearings on Gorsuch’s nomination to the high court. As the panel continues its work, McConnell said he’s “confident we’ll continue to see support grow” for his confirmation.
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., complained that Republicans were rushing Gorsuch’s nomination through the Senate and called on GOP leaders to delay the Senate consideration while the FBI is investigating ties between Russia and President Trump’s campaign.
Schumer on Wednesday said Gorsuch’s “erudite, polished, homespun” performance has no bearing on the Senate’s ability to evaluate how he would rule from the bench.
“For 11 hours, Judge Gorsuch looked like he was playing dodge ball with the Senate Judiciary Committee, bending over backwards” not to disclose how he might rule on certain issues.
The New York Democrat said Gorsuch dodged general questions about how he would evaluate “dark money in politics,” “LGBT rights,” and the “constitutionality of a Muslim ban.”
Gorsuch’s performance was “replete with humble kinds of metaphors and homespun stories, but pitifully short of substance,” he said.
