By Eric Stock
NORMAL – Illinois State University legal scholar Bob Bradley said he expects President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Neil Gorsuch, will win confirmation, but he expects Senate Democrats will try to turn the tables on the Republicans after President Barack Obama’s choice for the high court last year never got a hearing.
PODCAST: Listen to Bradley’s interview with Scott and Patti on WJBC.
“The Democrats are going to want to remind their base they are going to fight a good fight because they feel it was dirty what the Senate Republicans did to (Merrick) Garland’s nomination,” Bradley said.
Bradley added Gorsuch has had a consistent pro-business judicial record.
“Business cases make up more of the court’s docket than social issues,” Bradley said. “That’s where if you are a liberal, you’d be a little concerned about that.”
Bradley explained the bigger battle could come after the next Supreme Court vacancy, especially if it were to swing the ideological balance on the court.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said he plans to meet with Gorsuch and will support a hearing and vote on his confirmation.
“Only 12 days into this administration, we’ve already seen unlawful executive orders blocked by a federal court, and the unprecedented dismissal of an Attorney General for disagreeing with the President,” Durbin said. “I believe the independence of our judicial system, and especially the Supreme Court, is more critical now than at any time in recent history. That is the context in which I will review this nomination.”
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
