Even while insisting they would evaluate Gorsuch fairly, several spoke angrily about the treatment of Judge Merrick Garland, Obama's Supreme Court nominee, who was denied even a hearing for 10 months a year ago by Senate Republicans. The statement kicked off a day of opening statements - and opening statements only - as a kind of appetizer for the main course on Tuesday, when Gorsuch will endure 30-minute rounds of questions from the 20 committee members.