On Jan. 31, President Trump nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch for the Supreme Court after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia. This nomination elevates a conservative judge with a similar philosophy as the late Justice Scalia. President Trump described Judge Gorsuch as “a man who our country really needs, and needs badly, to ensure the rule of law and the rule of justice.”

Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also praised the nominee, stating that Gorsuch “has an impressive background and a long record of faithfully applying the law and the Constitution.” One by one, Republican Senators continued to praise Gorsuch as a well-qualified jurist.

At 49-years-old, Gorsuch will be the youngest judge on the court, and his decisions will continue to shape America’s history for decades to come. President Trump conveys his faith in Judge Gorsuch through describing him as having “outstanding legal skills, a brilliant mind, tremendous discipline, and has earned bipartisan support.”

However, because of the Republican’s refusal of Obama’s choice for the replacement, many Democrats have voiced opposition. Liberal groups have plotted for many weeks to fight whoever Trump nominated. Many Democratic senators have also come out and voiced their opposition, and some are prepared to create a filibuster to hold up the decision unless Judge Gorsuch gets 60 votes, with the Republicans holding a 52-48 majority in the Senate. However, other senators are noncommittal to the filibuster and plan on reviewing everything before coming to a decision.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York said, “Now, more than ever, we need a Supreme Court justice… [who] will preserve our democracy, protect fundamental rights and will stand up to a president who has already shown a willingness to bend the Constitution. The burden is on Judge Neil Gorsuch to prove himself to be within the legal mainstream, and, in this new era, willing to vigorously defend the Constitution from abuses of the executive branch and protect the constitutionally enshrined rights of all Americans.” Senator Schumer has insisted on the 60 vote threshold to overcome the filibuster.

On the other hand, Republican Senator McConnell stated, “I hope members of the Senate will again show him fair consideration and respect the result of the recent election with an up-or-down vote on his nomination, just like the Senate treated the four first-term nominees of Presidents Clinton and Obama.”

If Judge Gorsuch is confirmed, he will be the 113th judge to take a seat, restoring the 5-4 split between conservatives and liberals on the Supreme Court. This returns the swing vote to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, whose rulings have fallen on both sides of the political spectrum. With the nomination of Judge Gorsuch, who knows how cases will be shaped for decades to come?