President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017, to announce Judge Neil Gorsuch as his nominee for the Supreme Court. Gorsuch stands with his wife Louise.
WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump has nominated federal appeals judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
The 49-year-old Gorsuch has served on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver since 2006, after being appointed by President George W. Bush. He once worked at the Supreme Court as a law clerk.
If approved by the Senate, Gorsuch would take the seat left vacant since Justice Antonin Scalia died last year. Republicans refused to consider President Barack Obamas nominee for the seat, saying the choice should go Obamas successor.
He would be the youngest justice since Clarence Thomas joined the court in 1991 at age 43.
Trump made the announcement Tuesday in a prime-time address from the White House.
I encourage the U.S. Senate to confirm Judge Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.
He's on the back burner awaiting confirmation for AG, but Dana Boente was just sworn in as acting AG, after Trump fired Sally Yates.
If a president wants to move along and get stuff done, he's got to make some interim appointments and not let senate confirmations bring everything to a screeching halt. Those turds in congress can screw up anything.