Watch as Senator Al Franken forces Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch to justify his controversial decision to side with TransAm rather than a trucker in the notorious “Frozen Trucker” case.
For those unfamiliar with the case, here are the quick facts (or click here for our full article on the Frozen Trucker case):
In January of 2009, TransAm driver Alphonse Maddin found himself stuck in subzero temperatures with frozen brake lines and almost no fuel. While waiting for a repairman for over two hours, his truck’s APU stopped working and Maddin began to feel numb. When Maddin expressed concern for his safety to his supervisor, he was told to either stay with the truck and wait or to drag the trailer with him. Maddin opted to detach the trailer and seek help.
Maddin was fired a week later for abandoning his load. He ultimately prevailed in court, but Trump’s Supreme Court pick Gorsuch sided with TransAm, noting in his dissenting opinion, “It might be fair to ask whether TransAm’s decision was a wise or kind one. But it’s not our job to answer questions like that. Our only task is to decide whether the decision was an illegal one.”
In this clip, Senator Franken asks Gorsuch to put himself in Maddin’s shoes and questions whether his decision was compassionate in Senate hearings to determine his confirmation to the Supreme Court.
You can see the full segment in the video below.
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