WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) met with Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. After the meeting, Senator King issued the following statement and also announced that he will hold a listening session, sponsored by the University of Maine School of Law, to better understand what Maine people want to know about Judge Gorsuch and his judicial record as the confirmation process moves forward. The listening session will be held this coming Sunday, March 5^th from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland.

            “I had a productive meeting with Judge Gorsuch this morning, one of the first steps in my ongoing process to better understand his judicial philosophy and temperament. I will continue to evaluate his record and will closely follow his upcoming confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee,” Senator King said. “I also believe the people of Maine should have the opportunity to raise questions so I can understand what they want to know as the confirmation process moves forward. I look forward to holding the listening session this coming Sunday and encourage people from across the state to continue to let me know how they feel about Judge Gorsuch.”

Senator King is holding the listening session to provide Maine people with the opportunity to express their views about Judge Gorsuch’s nomination and to gain a better understanding of what they want to know about the nominee and his record as the confirmation process moves forward. He has also invited two experts – Kristine Lucius, a former legal and policy advisor on the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the confirmation process in the Senate, and Dmitry Bam, an Associate Professor at the University of Maine School of Law to offer a historical perspective of the Senate’s confirmation process and provide information related to the various approaches of legal philosophy and judicial interpretation.

After short presentations by the experts, Senator King will speak about his approach to Judge Gorsuch’s nomination and then allow members of the audience to express their views and ask questions about the nomination.

The listening sessions is open to the general public and is being held in Hannaford Hall at the University of Southern Maine in Portland. Seats will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. For those who are not able to attend, the listening session will also be broadcast live via YouTube. Senator King will also hold a media availability onsite following the session.

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