Yesterday, Senate Democrat leaders urged President Trump to nominate to the Supreme Court someone “bipartisan who could get the support of both parties.”
January 25, 2017
FACT CHECK: Big “Bipartisan” Support For President Trump’s SCOTUS Short-List
Yesterday, Senate Democrat leaders urged President Trump to nominate to the Supreme Court someone “bipartisan who could get the support of both parties.”
But it looks like the new president is already one step ahead of them, since two of the judges on his reported short-list – Judge Neil Gorsuch and Judge Thomas Hardiman – have already received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate, including from Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, and many others. In summary:
- 31 currently-sitting senators were in office when Judge Gorsuch was confirmed by voice vote in 2006, including 11 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
- 37 currently-sitting senators voted to confirm Judge Hardiman when he was approved 95-0 in 2007, including 18 Democrats, 18 Republicans and 1 Independent.
Here are the facts:
Judge Neil Gorsuch was unanimously confirmed (by voice vote) to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on July 20, 2006.
Today, there are 31 sitting senators – 12 Democrats and 19 Republicans – who were in the Senate when Judge Gorsuch was unanimously confirmed in 2006, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Assistant Democratic Leader Patty Murray (D-WA), as well as former senators such as Barack Obama (D-IL), Joe Biden (D-DE), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and Ted Kennedy (D-MA).
Here are the currently-sitting senators who were serving when Judge Gorsuch was confirmed by voice vote in 2006:
| Democrats (12): | Republicans (19): |
| Cantwell (D-WA) | Alexander (R-TN) |
| Carper (D-DE) | Burr (R-NC) |
| Durbin (D-IL) | Cochran (R-MS) |
| Feinstein (D-CA) | Collins (R-ME) |
| Leahy (D-VT) | Cornyn (R-TX) |
| Menendez (D-NJ) | Crapo (R-ID) |
| Murray (D-WA) | Enzi (R-WY) |
| Nelson (D-FL) | Graham (R-SC) |
| Reed (D-RI) | Grassley (R-IA) |
| Schumer (D-NY) | Hatch (R-UT) |
| Stabenow (D-MI) | Inhofe (R-OK) |
| Wyden (D-OR) | Isakson (R-GA) |
| McCain (R-AZ) | |
| McConnell (R-KY) | |
| Murkowski (R-AK) | |
| Roberts (R-KS) | |
| Sessions (R-AL) | |
| Shelby (R-AL) | |
| Thune (R-SD) |
Judge Thomas Hardiman was confirmed by a vote of 95-0 to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on March 15, 2007. Judge Hardiman was previously confirmed unanimously (by voice vote) to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania on October 22, 2003.
Today, there are 37 sitting senators – 18 Democrats, 17 Republicans and 1 Independent – who voted to confirm Judge Hardiman in 2007, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), as well as former senators such as Barack Obama (D-IL), Joe Biden (D-DE), Hillary Clinton (D-NY), and Ted Kennedy (D-MA).
Here are the current-sitting Senators who voted for Judge Hardiman in 2007 :
| Democrats (18): | Republicans (17): | Independents (1): |
| Brown (D-OH) | Alexander (R-TN) | Sanders (I-VT) |
| Cantwell (D-WA) | Burr (R-NC) | |
| Cardin (D-MD) | Collins (R-ME) | |
| Carper (D-DE) | Corker (R-TN) | |
| Casey (D-PA) | Cornyn (R-TX) | |
| Feinstein (D-CA) | Crapo (R-ID) | |
| Klobuchar (D-MN) | Enzi (R-WY) | |
| Leahy (D-VT) | Graham (R-SC) | |
| McCaskill (D-MO) | Grassley (R-IA) | |
| Menendez (D-NJ) | Hatch (R-UT) | |
| Murray (D-WA) | Inhofe (R-OK) | |
| Nelson (D-FL) | Isakson (R-GA) | |
| Reed (D-RI) | McConnell (R-KY) | |
| Schumer (D-NY) | Murkowski (R-AK) | |
| Stabenow (D-MI) | Roberts (R-KS) | |
| Tester (D-MT) | Shelby (R-AL) | |
| Whitehouse (D-RI) | Thune (R-SD) | |
| Wyden (D-OR) |