Deirdre Shesgreen

dshesgreen@usatoday.com

WASHINGTON--Sen. Rob Portman said he will support President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court, federal Judge Neil Gorsuch, after the two men meet privately in Portman's office Wednesday morning.

“Judge Gorsuch and I had an engaging and productive meeting," Portman, R-Ohio, said in a statement.

"I expressed my belief that the job of a Supreme Court justice is to fairly and impartially apply the law, and to protect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, not to legislate from the bench," Portman said. "I believe that is exactly what he will do should he be confirmed to this important position. Judge Gorsuch has an outstanding record as a fair-minded, independent, and universally-respected judge, and, after today's meeting, I join others in offering him my support.”

Ohio's senior senator -- Democrat Sherrod Brown -- announced last month, minutes after Trump unveiled his choice, that he would oppose Gorsuch. Brown said his record was "far outside" the mainstream.

Brown a "no" on Trump's Supreme Court pick

Trump nominated Gorsuch to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Antonin Scalia in February of last year. Democrats are still deeply bitter over the decision by Senate Republicans to block President Obama from filling that slot. Obama also nominated a federal appeals judge, Merrick Garland, but Portman and other Republicans refused to give him a hearing or a vote.