WASHINGTON (AP) – A showdown over President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee and the Senate’s rules loomed as the number of Democrats opposing Judge Neil Gorsuch grew to more than 20 on Tuesday.
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, and Michigan’s two lawmakers, Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, announced that they would vote against Gorsuch. Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, are intent on getting Trump’s choice confirmed before Congress’ two-week break in mid-April.
“Judge Gorsuch’s hearing reinforced my fear that he would favor corporations and special interest elites at the expense of American workers and families,” Durbin, a member of the Judiciary Committee, said of the four-day confirmation hearing last week. He announced his opposition on the Senate floor.
Statements from Stabenow and Peters echoed that criticism.
“Whether it is ruling against children who want an equal opportunity to get a quality education or women who want access to health care, Judge Gorsuch often fails to take into account the human face behind each case,” Peters said.