U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch told senators Tuesday hemade no promises about how he would rule on cases, and he wasn’tasked to do so when President Donald Trump nominated him to thenation’s highest court.

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"I have offered no promises on how I’d rule in any case toanyone," he said at the start of a marathon day of questioning bymembers of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "I don’t think it’sappropriate for a judge to do so, no matter who’s doing theasking."

Asked by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley ofIowa about judicial independence and whether he could rule againstthe president who appointed him, Gorsuch said he is able to "putpolitics aside" when ruling on cases.

“I have no difficulty ruling against or for any party, basedupon what the law and facts in any particular case require,” hesaid.

Gorsuch called the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion-rights ruling a"precedent of the United States Supreme Court. It has beenreaffirmed," though he gave no indication of whether he thought thecase was correctly decided.

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Trump, during his presidential campaign, said that his SupremeCourt nominees would be “pro-life,” and that Roe would"automatically” be overturned once he had made enough appointments.

‘Super-precedent’

Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California asked whetherRoe should be considered a "super-precedent" because the high courthas repeatedly reaffirmed the right to abortion. Gorsuch responded,"It has been reaffirmed many times. I can say that."

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Justices must "start with a heavy, heavy presumption in favor ofprecedent in our system," Gorsuch said.

Democrats say they fear Gorsuch will reinstate a conservativeSupreme Court majority that over the past decade has voted 5-4 toroll back protections for consumers, workers and racialminorities, while giving corporations new rights. He is Trump’sfirst Supreme Court nominee.

"If you want cases where I’ve ruled for the little guy as wellas the big guy, there are plenty of them," he told Feinstein. "WhatI’d like to convey to you from the bottom of my heart is that I’m afair judge."

Grassley said Monday the committee plans to vote on Gorsuch’snomination April 3, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ofKentucky has said he’s confident the judge will be confirmed laterthat week, before a mid-April Senate recess.

Separately from the Judiciary panel’s hearing, Senate MinorityLeader Chuck Schumer of New York said Tuesday that the chambershouldn’t rush ahead on Gorsuch’s confirmation while Trump is underthe "gray cloud" of the FBI investigation of potential ties betweenhis presidential campaign and Russia. Federal Bureau ofInvestigation Director James Comey confirmed the probe onMonday.

Asked by Feinstein about his service in the Justice Departmentduring President George W. Bush’s administration, Gorsuch saidthere was a "tug of war" within the administration over apresidential statement that reserved the right to use harsherinterrogation methods in special situations. Gorsuch said he wasamong those who wanted a "gentler" statement.

"I certainly would never have counseled anyone that they coulddisobey the law," Gorsuch said. He also said he was merely "thescribe" in preparing testimony by the attorney general to Congressthat said lawmakers couldn’t bar the president’s power to wiretapAmericans.

Judicial independence

Grassley opened the hearing by asking the nominee about theconcept of judicial independence and whether he could rule againstthe president who appointed him.

“There’s no such thing as a Republican judge or a Democraticjudge. We just have judges in this country,” Gorsuch said. Later,he said, "A good judge doesn’t give a whit about politics or thepolitical implications of his or her decisions."

Gorsuch promised in his opening statement Monday to be a“neutral and independent” justice. Democrats said they will holdhim to a higher standard than previous Supreme Court nominees, inpart because of last year’s successful Republican blockade ofMerrick Garland, President Barack Obama’s choice for the seat thathas been open since February 2016.

“In ordinary circumstances, you should enjoy the benefit of thedoubt based on your qualifications, but several things have gonewrong that shift the benefit of the doubt,” Senator SheldonWhitehouse, a Democrat from Rhode Island, told Gorsuch Monday.

Partisan gulf

Gorsuch left behind a partisan gulf as he finished day one.Republicans hailed the appellate judge as a careful arbiter of thelaw, while Democrats said he goes out of his way to issue sweepingrulings in favor of powerful institutions.

Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal told reporters Monday,“Believe me, we’re going to be aggressive and tough in ourquestioning.”’

Tuesday’s session is expected to last into the evening, andanother day of questioning for the nominee is set forWednesday.

Gorsuch on Monday cast himself as a judge willing to rulehowever the law required, highlighting cases where he landed on theside of individuals.

"I have decided for Native Americans seeking to protect triballands, for class actions like one that ensured compensation forvictims of a nuclear waste pollution problem produced bycorporations in Colorado," Gorsuch said. "I’ve ruled for disabledstudents, for prisoners, for the accused, for workers allegingcivil rights violations and for undocumented immigrants."

‘Nuclear option’

Democrats will be hard-pressed to stop Gorsuch’s nominationgiven Republicans’ 52-48 control of the Senate. Under currentrules, Democrats need only 41 votes to filibuster the nomination,but Republicans could change those rules with a simple majorityvote, an approach that has become known as the "nuclearoption."

Republicans are united behind the nominee, who has served on afederal appeals court in Denver since being appointed by PresidentGeorge W. Bush in 2006. Gorsuch has degrees from Columbia, Harvardand Oxford.

The Supreme Court confirmation process has grown steadily morepartisan since half of the Senate’s Democrats voted to confirm JohnRoberts as chief justice in 2005. Roberts had promised he wouldresemble a baseball umpire, merely calling ballsand strikes.

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