Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

By Britt Nelson

U.S. Senate appointment confirmation hearings begin Monday for Colorado federal appeals court Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Also Monday, FBI Director James Comey is to appear before the U.S. House intelligence committee to give public testimony about alleged Russian involvement in last year’s presidential campaign. There’s no shortage of political news swirling around Washington.

This week will also be a big one for President Donald Trump whose American Healthcare Act will be voted upon Thursday in the U.S. House — first to repeal ObamaCare and then to pass the replacement AHA. The vote in the U.S. House may be close, as numerous Republicans are expressing their doubts. However, according to news interviews, President Trump predicts passage on the first vote moving the entire matter of a new healthcare system in America to the U.S. Senate for more debate and changes that are sure to come. But this is the normal legislative process for all proposed legislation.

It’s easy to predict that Gorsuch’s hearings will rival those of sitting U.S. Justice Clarence Thomas, 69, who was nominated by former President George H.W. Bush in 1991. Thomas’ contentious and bitter hearings began in July and did not end until Oct. 15, 1991 with a U.S. Senate vote to confirm Thomas 52 to 48, according to Wikipedia. During the hearings Thomas was accused of sexual misconduct by former employee Anita Hill whose explosive accusations against Thomas dominated the national news for weeks. After Thomas was confirmed, the accusations against him died down in the media and Thomas refused to further discuss his private life.

Gorsuch’s nomination comes following the death last year of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who was 79. The current makeup of the high court includes four liberal justices and four conservatives often resulting in split decisions with delayed action on important issues facing the country. The 49-year-old Gorsuch’s confirmation would swing the court more conservative than liberal endangering such decisions as Roe v. Wade which made abortion legal decades ago leaving the matter as a woman’s right to choose.

U.S. Senate Democrats will stop at nothing to delay or derail Gorsuch, but the Republicans outnumber the Democrats and Gorsuch’s confirmation is all but assured. Part of the Democrat’s anger toward President Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee stems from the fact that the Republicans blocked President Obama’s third and final Supreme Court nominee by refusing to hold hearings. 

According to a story on Politico.com, Democratic activists are vowing revenge against any Senate Democrat that votes for Gorsuch. Senate Republicans are united behind Gorsuch and this vote could be similar to the Thomas vote 26 years ago.

Meanwhile, FBI Director Comey will appear Monday morning on Capitol Hill along with National Security Agency Director Admiral Michael Rogers that may result in some high drama with House intelligence committee members grilling Comey and Rogers about President Trump’s involvement with Russia and his claims of as yet unsubstantiated wiretapping at Trump Tower in New York City.

National news coverage of the Comey-Rogers public hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m. Monday (EST). The Democrats are sure to turn this meeting into a dog-and-pony show within a three-ring circus and mainstream media will be lapping it up like hungry dogs at the food bowl.

Anything Democrats can throw at President Trump they will without consideration of making any progress on all the issues facing the U.S. But this new president, the likes of which have never been seen before, will find ways around the Democratic wall of resistance.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.