On April 7th the Senate confirmed Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court after lowering the threshold for confirmation to a simple majority the day prior. The Senate voted 54-45 in favor of elevating Gorsuch, formerly a judge on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, to the highest court in America. Senate Democrats attempts earlier in the week to use a filibuster to block the confirmation were rendered moot when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- KY) called for rules change that would allow confirmation by a simple majority, instead of the previous standard of 60 votes.
Presiding as a circuit judge over states like Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Wyoming, Gorsuch has considerable experience ruling on cases of importance to the Native community in the areas of treaty obligations, sovereign immunity, and the sanctity of tribal courts. With many prominent cases heading to the Supreme Court with potentially lasting impacts on Indian Country, the ascension of Gorsuch could bring a knowledge view on Native issues to the bench.
