Anger Over Gorsuch Ruling Spills Into Nominations Hearing

Senate Republicans wasted no time grilling Trump judicial nominees on their approach to “textualism"—the legal theory championed by the late Justice Antonin Scalia—after being stung by Justice Neil Gorsuch’s application of the principle to protect LGBTQ workers from discrimination.

Republican Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and John Kennedy of Louisiana sought answers on Wednesday from district court nominees at a Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing about their views on textualism, or how closely they’d hew to the plain reading of a federal statute rather than the intent behind it.

“In light of recent Supreme Court activities, it is very important for ...