A Tale of Two Hearings: Gorsuch and Comey on the Hot Seat

WASHINGTON – It's a tale of two hearings on Capitol Hill, with Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch and FBI Director James Comey facing tough questions this week from lawmakers.

On Tuesday, Gorsuch will be facing questions from senators on day two of his confirmation hearings.

Today's expected grilling comes one day after a marathon opening session in which Senate Democrats launched brutal attacks on the Supreme Court pick's judicial record. 

After more than three hours of listening to statements from members of a Senate Judiciary Committee, Gorsuch finally took the stand.

"In my decade on the bench, I try to treat all who come before me fairly and with respect," Gorsuch told the Senate panel.  

He touted his family and his Colorado roots. 

"To my teenage daughters who are watching out West, raising chickens for the county fair, devising ways to keep our goat out of the garden -- these are a just a few of my favorite memories," said Gorsuch. "I love you impossibly."
 
Monday was the first of four days of hearings for Gorsuch, who is likely to carry on the conservative legacy of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

"Arguably the most important thing the U.S. Senate will do this year is confirm the next Supreme Court justice," urged Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb. 

Disgruntled Dems Sound Off

However, some senators were still upset about former President Barack Obama's high court nominee, Merrick Garland, who didn't get a hearing from Senate Republicans last year. 

"Your nomination is part of the Republican strategy to capture our judicial branch of government. That is why Senate Republicans kept this SCOTUS seat vacant for more than a year," accused Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. 

In their opening remarks, lawmakers questioned how Gorsuch would handle issues like Roe vs. Wade, the Second Amendment and immigration. 

Republicans, however, praised him for being a staunch follower of the Constitution.

"He has the highest level of professional qualifications including integrity, competence and temperament," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. 

But it's that same originalist commitment that worries some Democrats who say there are problems with following the Constitution word for word.  

"Then we would still have segregated schools, and bans on interracial marriage," warned Sen. Dianne Fienstein, D-Calif. "Women wouldn't be entitled to equal protection under the law, and government discrimination against LGBT Americans would be permitted." 

Comey's Testimony 

Meanwhile on Monday, FBI Director James Comey faced tough question from the House Intelligence Committee about Russia's activities to influence the 2016 election. 

The FBI chief confirmed for the first time publicly that the his agency is investigating potential links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.  

"I have been authorized to confirm that the FBI is investigating the Russian government's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election," said Comey.

House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif, noted that FBI and Justice Department documents provided no proof of collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Comey and National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers also contradicted President Donald Trump's claims that Obama ordered wiretapping of Trump Tower before the election.

"We know there was not a physical wiretap of Trump Tower. However, it's still possible that other surveillance activities were used against President Trump and his associates," said Nunes.
  
Rogers added that his agency did not uncover any evidence to back up the president's wiretapping accusation. Both the FBI and NSA held back in releasing details of their investigations until their reports are complete.