The ninth, and empty, seat on the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) may soon be filled if President Donald Trump has his way. Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, 49, for the seat on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

If approved by Congress, Gorsuch is sure to hear environmental issues that have made their way to SCOTUS, including the embattled Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule.

While SCOTUS will not have the final say on WOTUS, the court is expected to decide where challenges to the rule will be heard.

Gorsuch is nominated for the seat formerly occupied by the late Justice Antonin Scalia.

“He is a worthy successor,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall said. “The American Farm Bureau Federation calls for his swift confirmation by the Senate.”

Gorsuch has a law degree from Harvard and a doctorate from Oxford.

“Like Scalia, Judge Gorsuch does the job he was appointed to do. He respects the law and the Constitution as written,” Duvall said. “We are encouraged by his past positions that courts should not blindly defer to regulating agencies, but should perform their constitutional role of interpreting the laws that Congress writes. That point alone is critical for many of the legal issues faced by farmers and ranchers today.”

Gorsuch clerked for Supreme Court justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy.

“Gorsuch has expressed an appreciation for the environment and is a conservationist–a philosophy shared by America’s farmers and ranchers who serve as caretakers for our lands,” Duvall said. “Judge Gorsuch’s qualifications are beyond question.”

Gorsuch was confirmed by a unanimous Senate for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals 10 years ago.

“Everything we know about him tells us he deserves to be confirmed by a similar margin today,” Duvall said. “Any Senator voting against a legal scholar like Gorsuch will have to produce a serious justification for a no vote. America’s farmers and ranchers will be watching closely.”

To be nominated to the open seat on SCOTUS, Gorsuch must receive 60 votes in the Senate.

According to POLITICO, President Trump decided to nominate Gorsuch after a single meeting in the White House.

“Hope you like my nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch for the United States Supreme Court,” Trump tweeted. “He is a good and brilliant man, respected by all.”

Others under consideration for the nomination include Judge Thomas Hardiman, Judge Maryanne Trump Barry, Judge Bill Pryor and Judge Amul Thapar.