Bob Menendez, last undecided Democrat on Gorsuch, joins filibuster

Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.), the last Democrat to express a position on whether his party should filibuster Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, joined most of his Democratic colleagues Monday evening in voicing opposition to the judge.

Menendez argued that Gorsuch’s judicial record shows he is “far too close to powerful corporations and special interests” to win his support.

He, like many other Democrats, cited Gorsuch’s opinion in Transam Trucking v. Administrative Review Board that sided with an employer who fired a truck driver for disobeying an order to stay with a disabled vehicle for hours in sub-zero weather conditions.

{mosads}He also criticized what he called the praise of “one of the main architects of the voter identification laws” and his ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, in which the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a closely held corporation can be considered a person with religious rights. 

“Based on his record, judicial philosophy and indirect and evasive answers during the hearings, I cannot support either cloture or final passage on Judge Gorsuch’s nomination,” he said in a statement.

Menendez joined 41 other Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.), an independent, in announcing he will oppose Gorsuch and support a filibuster of his nomination.

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who introduced Gorsuch to the Judiciary Committee, says he will not support the filibuster but has not said how he will vote on final confirmation.

Sen. Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats, has not said how he will vote on the filibuster or final confirmation.