After a year of debate over two nominees for the Supreme Court vacancy, conservative justice Neil Gorsuch was appointed by Republicans using the “nuclear option.”

Usually when a judge is appointed, a two-thirds vote of the Senate is required, but the “nuclear option” is a way to overwrite a ruling by a majority vote instead of the traditional two-thirds. From the beginning, most democrats didn’t want Gorsuch, making the appointment nearly impossible. However, the Republicans wanted to fill this vacancy now.

This now allows Supreme Court justices to be passed by a simple majority.  

FoxNews reported before his confirmation that people close to Gorsuch describe him as “a combination of wicked smarts, down-to-earth modesty, disarming warmth and careful deliberation.”

Neil Gorsuch, a ten-year appellate judge, is now a current standing judge on the Supreme Court. Confirmed on March 19, 2017, Neil Gorsuch is 49.