The business community has reacted to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court with barely restrained glee. A “fantastic nomination,” said an official with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “[W]e expect the court to return to its business-friendly leanings,” wrote lawyers with a global law firm.
And who could blame them? The business community, as explained more fully in a new report by my organization, sees much to like in Gorsuch’s record on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. In addition to areas including arbitration and regulation, they see a judge who favors cramped interpretations of laws that are supposed to protect workers and others.Under U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has seen a sharp increase in its success at the Supreme Court. Since 2006, the Roberts court has ruled for the chamber’s position nearly 70 percent of the time, led by the court’s conservatives. Clearly, the business community expects to maintain its grip on the court with Gorsuch help.
