Neil Gorsuch Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing Date Set

Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, will get a formal confirmation hearing on March 20 before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Chuck Grassley, a Republican of Iowa and the committee's chairman, announced the hearing date on Thursday.

The hearing date means that Gorsuch will make it further in the confirmation process than Merrick Garland, who was nominated by President Obama last March to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Garland's nomination was blocked for nearly a year by Republicans, who vowed to let the winner of November's election fill the seat instead. The Supreme Court has had only eight judges for more than a year.

Republicans are united in their support behind Gorsuch, who is seen as a mainstream conservative pick to fill the seat.

Democrats have offered mixed opinions. Several have met with him privately and said they will give him a chance to make his case. Others, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have already promised to oppose his nomination.

This story will be updated.