Story highlights
Constitutionality of President Trump's actions will likely be decided by Supreme Court
A lone justice can tip the balance on civil rights, law and corporate regulation
(CNN) —
On Tuesday night, US President Donald Trump revealed his nominee for the Supreme Court.
Neil Gorsuch, a 49-year-old federal appellate judge from Colorado, is Trump’s pick to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died suddenly last year.
Gorsuch will likely face a blistering confirmation battle as Senate Democrats prepare to potentially filibuster Trump’s nomination in the wake of successful Republican obstruction of President Obama’s nominee last year.
While the Supreme Court usually rules on domestic issues of national importance, some cases – such as the 2000 Bush v. Gore decision on the rightful winner of the US election – can have huge international ramifications.
The court may be asked to rule in the near future on Trump’s hugely controversial immigration ban which affects millions of people from Muslim-majority countries.
02:51 - Source: CNN
Gorsuch Senate vote headed towards showdown
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Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee convene a meeting to discuss what they see as Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland's qualifications to serve on the high court in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill May 18, 2016 in Washington, DC. Democrats left half the seats at the dais vacant so to emphasize the Senate Republicans' opposition to holding confirmation hearings for Judge Garland.
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Neil M. Gorsuch testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on his nomination to be an associate justice of the US Supreme Court during a hearing in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC on March 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 31: U.S. President Donald Trump (R) nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House January 31, 2017 in Washington, DC. If confirmed, Gorsuch would fill the seat left vacant with the death of Associate Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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