BREAKING: Justice Neil Gorsuch Takes the Oath to Officially Join Supreme Court

Four hundred twenty-one days after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, the resulting vacancy on the Supreme Court has finally been filled.

Following a controversial process which culminated in the Senate voting 54-45 to confirm, Neil Gorsuch was officially sworn in Monday morning as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

With President Donald Trump looking on, Justice Anthony Kennedy administered the oath to Gorsuch — who officially becomes the fifth Republican appointee on the Court.

Gorsuch’s appointment was met with a great deal of controversy. Prior to leaving office last year, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill Scalia’s seat. But Senate Republicans refused to hold a confirmation hearing, and after winning the election, President Trump tapped Gorsuch for the spot. When Senate Democrats filibustered the nomination, Republicans in the chamber voted to employ the so-called “nuclear option” to override, and ultimately put Gorsuch on the Court.

The appointment of the conservative Gorsuch will likely not tip the balance of the Court — as he is replacing the Conservative Justice Scalia. But the Justices thought by many as being most likely to retire next are Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 84 and perhaps the Court’s staunchest liberal, and 80-year-old Justice Anthony Kennedy — generally considered to be a key swing vote.

This post will be updated momentarily with footage of Gorsuch taking the oath.

[featured image via screengrab]

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Follow Joe DePaolo (@joe_depaolo) on Twitter

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