The Senate Judiciary Committee will begin confirmation hearings for Judge Neil Gorsuch on March 20, the committee chair announced Thursday.
Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he expects the hearings for President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee to last three to four days, according to Politico. Questioning of Gorsuch would begin the next day, and the committee would hear other expert testimony.
“Judge Gorsuch has met every demand placed on him by the Minority. He’s a mainstream judge. He’s displayed independence,” Grassley said in a statement. “He’s met with dozens of senators who have nothing but positive things to say. He is well-qualified and respected.”
Some Democrats have demanded that Gorsuch pass a 60 vote threshold in order to get confirmed by the full Senate. That would mean he would have to earn eight votes in addition to the 52 Republican senators.
It’s further than Judge Merrick Garland, former President Barack Obama’s nominee, ever progressed. Senate Republicans refused to grant Garland a hearing, citing the election year.