At his Senate confirmation hearing on
Tuesday, Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch refused to discuss his
personal views on marriage equality.
Minnesota Senator Al Franken, a
Democrat, tried unsuccessfully to get Gorsuch to open up about the
subject.
Franken couched his question by stating
that the Supreme Court has already ruled on the issue of marriage
equality. “So, you shouldn't have any problem answering this
question,” Franken stated.
“How have your views of marriage
equality changed, if at all, since the 2004 election?” Franken
asked.
“Senator, my personal views, if I
were to begin speaking about my personal views on this subject, which
every American has views on, would send a misleading signal to the
American people ...” Gorsuch started.
“It's settled law,” Franken
interrupted.
“Is absolutely settled law. There's
ongoing litigation about its impact and its application right now,
and I cannot share my personal views without suggesting mistakenly
...”
“Okay, can I move on to something
else? I understand, you've given a version of this answer before,”
Franken said.
Elsewhere in the hearing, Gorsuch said
that the Supreme Court has held that “single-sex marriage is
protected by the Constitution.”
In the 2015 case Obergefell v.
Hodges, the Supreme Court found that gay and lesbian couples have
a constitutional right to marry.