Ever since President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court seat left empty since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia more than a year ago, it's been unclear how Democrats would act during the confirmation.
Many see the seat as stolen, given that Republicans blocked President Obama's nominee for the seat, Merrick Garland, using reason they seemingly made up. They're also concerned over whether he'll kowtow to corporate interests and religious groups or if he'll work to erode landmark decisions.
On Monday, Democrats delayed a vote on Gorsuch by a week, and there is still some disagreement over how to proceed.
The question for Senate Democrats has essentially been, do they a) vote to confirm him out of fear that Trump's next nominee will be even scarier, or b) block his confirmation and risk suffering painful political blowback later?
Among Democrats who have stated they will oppose Gorsuch is Sen. Bill Nelson, a moderate Democrat from Florida.
Nelson issued a statement Monday outlining his reasons or doing so.
"Deciding whether to confirm a president's nominee for the highest court in the land is a responsibility I take very seriously," Nelson said in a written statement. "Over the past few weeks, I have met with Judge Gorsuch, listened to the Judiciary Committee's hearings and reviewed his record with an open mind. I have real concerns with his thinking on protecting the right to vote and allowing unlimited money in political campaigns. In addition, the judge has consistently sided with corporations over employees, as in the case of a freezing truck driver who, contrary to common sense, Judge Gorsuch would have allowed to be fired for abandoning his disabled rig during extreme weather conditions."
This article appears in Mar 23-30, 2017.