Gorsuch Confirmation Vote Expected by April 10 |

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley says the Senate is aiming to confirm Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch before a two-week break that starts April 10.

The committee expects a vote on Monday, April 3. Grassley told reporters after the first day of Gorsuch's confirmation hearings that the nomination would go immediately to the floor after that.

He said that he believes Democrats will have a hard time voting against Gorsuch after the hearings, but "I assume he'll have a lot of votes against him."

Grassley said Gorsuch "stated a very independent view" in his opening statement Monday and that the hearings are off to a good start.

Senators begin questioning Gorsuch on Tuesday.

For Supreme Court nominations, the Judiciary panel has traditionally voted to recommend a nominee favorably or unfavorably, giving the full Senate the final say.

Gorsuch's four-day confirmation hearing began Monday morning. Senators will begin questioning the judge Tuesday.

The hearings come 13 months after Justice Antonin Scalia's death created a vacancy on the high court.

Gorsuch is a respected, highly credentialed and conservative member of the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. His nomination has been cheered by Republicans and praised by some left-leaning legal scholars.