In a highly anticipated announcement on Jan. 27, President Donald Trump nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, proposing a new justice to fill the year-long vacancy left behind by the late conservative, Justice Antonin Scalia.

Gorsuch, 49, is currently a federal appeals court judge for the 10th circuit in Colorado and has often employed originalist reasoning in conservative decisions during his career. Originalism in the interpretation of the law involves a binding to the original understanding of the Constitution without taking into account national change over time.  

In his decision, President Trump adhered to his campaign promise of appointing a conservative justice who takes after Scalia in personality, manner and legal philosophy. Republicans note the similarities between Gorsuch and the late Scalia, who was greatly admired by conservatives.

“As someone who’s taught government before, I’m a big believer in originalist thinking, that you take the Constitution as originally laid out and not reinterpret it based on current trends,” Thompson said. “I think [Gorsuch] is a phenomenal pick. He’s a conservative judge who is going to be in the mold of Antonin Scalia and is going to protect and defend the Constitution and not reinterpret it.”

In wake of the announcement, Democratic senators have expressed an intention for Gorsuch to face a gridlock in the confirmation process, similarly to Republican lawmakers’ decision to deny consideration to former President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland. In response to the Democratic strategy going forward, President Trump told Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to go “nuclear”, which would let McConnell lower the bar for confirmation votes from 60 to 51.

“My general opinion is that the Republicans were completely disrespectful to Obama in the last year of his presidency for not even having a hearing for Merrick Garland. [Gorsuch] is a conservative, and I am really worried about him rolling back rights for women and the LGBT community,” history teacher Andrea Milius said. “I do not know if the Democrats really have enough power to pull this [blocking attempt] off, so maybe they have to concentrate their efforts in a different way.”

As the law stands, Gorsuch needs 60 votes in the Senate with a filibuster threat and a simple majority, or 50 votes, without one. Republican lawmakers have stated their intent to confirm him by April; however, a prolonged battle of bipartisan gridlock looms on Capitol Hill.