Construction went into effect late last night. Good morning. Im vai sikahema. Im tracy davidson. The closures are around the art museum and the baen franklin parkway and kelly drive. Nbc 10s Pamela Osborne is live with what drivers need to know. Pamela . Reporter we are still a few week away almost from the start of thosefestities, but take a look. You can see trailers down here. Theyre beginning to unload things and theyre setting the stage for fans. A lot of prep work being done right now. We want to give you a quick look from above from sky force 10. You see how much equipment is on the ground in the area and a stage is going up at the art museum. What does this all mean for you . Some lane restrictions around the oval for the next month. The Westbound Center roadway of the parkway will be closed from east akins oval from Spring Garden street and that continues to kelly drive southbound where it will open up to three lanes of travel and in front of the Art Museum Steps will be closed as they build the main stage. You can also expect to see traffic down to one lane southbound on kelly drive between 25th and the parkway. These closures are in place so that crews can assemble the 2017 nfl draft experience. The fun kicks off at noon on thursday, april 27th. Admission is free and it is a familyfriendly event. As you guys mentioned, this just the first set of closures that are going into effect. We have a full list of them on our website, nbc 10. Com. Reporting live, im Pamela Osborne, nbc 10 news. Thanks for that. We want to talk about the road closures and how we get around that with jessica boyington. What are you seeing . Again, the nfl draft restrictions will be one of the biggest problems we will see until about the first week of may. With the first round of closures and theyre all going to be affected by this. Septa busses detoured as well with route 27. Heres Savannah Guthrie. And good morning, everybody. We are watching the white house, the rose garden where in just a few moments neil gorsuch will be sworn in as associate justice of the Supreme Court. President trump walking out right now, Jessica Gorsuch right behind him having received the first oath of office at the Supreme Court and now you can see them approach the podium and well hear comments from the president and associate Justice Gorsuch and the swearing in. Lets take a listen. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much. Friends and distinguished guests, welcome to the white house. We are gathered here today for a truly momentous occasion in our democracy. The swearing in of a United StatesSupreme Court justice. In particular, i am greatly honoreded honored to welcome to these grounds every sitting justice of the United StatesSupreme Court. Welcome. [ applause ] thank you. Mr. Chief justice and fellow justices, its a privilege to have you here to join in this historic moment on this very beautiful spring day in the rose garden. Spring is really the perfect backdrop for this joyful gathering of friends because together we are in a process of reviewing and renewing and also rebuilding our country. A new optimism is sweeping across our land and a new faith in america is filling our hearts and lifting our sights. I would also like to recognize senator corey wheres corey . Corey gardner. Mike leigh. Wheres mike . Hes around here some place. Thank you. And mike krapel. Hi, mike. Thank you very much and for all your work. Thank you. [ applause ] and although he could not be here today i especially want to express our gratitude to senator Mitch Mcconnell for all that he did to make this achievement possible. So thank you, mitch. [ applause ] i would also like to give my appreciation to chairman grassley for conducting such a fair and professional confirmation. Senator grassley. Where is senator grassley . Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, senator. Finally, a profound thank you to Louise Gorsuch and to all of the gorsuch family, thank you. [ applause ] and louise, ive heard it first hand. I know what a total inspiration you are to your husband and to your entire family, so thank you very much. Fantastic. Thank you very much. [ applause ] we are here to celebrate history, the taking of the judicial oath by the newest member of the United StatesSupreme Court neil gorsuch. Justice gorsuch, i want to congratulate you and your entire family its something special. Ive always heard that the most important thing that a president of the United States does is appoint people, hopefully great people like this appointment to the United StatesSupreme Court, and i can say this is a great honor. [ applause ] and i got it done in the first 100 days, thats even nice. You think thats easy . This ceremony has special meaning as Justice Gorsuch is filling the seat of one of the greatest Supreme Court judges in American History and thats Antonin Scalia who was a terrific judge and a terrific person. Justice scalia was a patriot who revered our constitution. He was beloved by many, very many who are here today and he is deeply missed by all of us. I want to, at this time, recognize his incredible wife maureen who i got to know very well over the last short period of time, and maureen, please stand up. Thank you very much. [ applause ] thank you and your family. Thank you. Thank you, maureen. Americans are blessed to have in neil gorsuch a man who will likewise be a devoted servant of the law. Over the past two months the American People have gotten to know, respect and truly admire our newest member of the United StatesSupreme Court. In Justice Gorsuch, they see a man of great and unquestioned integrity. They see a man of unmatched qualifications and most of all, and most importantly, they see a man who is deeply faithful to the constitution of the United States. He will decide cases based not on his personal preferences, but based on a fair and objective reading of the law. Today, we have all three branches of government represented at this event. It is a very special thing, and a very special happening, and its worth taking just a minute to remember what it all means. In our founders incredible wisdom, they gave each branch of government a different role in our great republic. We have a congress to write the laws on behalf of the people. We have a president to enforce those laws and defend our nation, and we have a Supreme Court to apply and interpret the law in a fair and impartial manner when disagreements arise. The founders separated power because they knew it was the best way to protect our citizens and keep our constitution secure. Justice gorsuch, you are now entrusted with the sacred duty of defending our constitution. Our country is counting on you to be wise, impartial and fair, to serve under our laws and not over them and to safeguard the right of the people to govern their own affairs. I have no doubt you will rise to the occasion, and that the decisions you will make will not only protect our constitution today, but for many generations of americans to come. In just a moment Justice Gorsuch will be sworn in by Justice Kennedy, a great man of outstanding accomplishment. Throughout his nearly 30 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy has been praised by all for his dedicated and dignified service. We owe him an enormous debt of gratitude, and i am honored that he is with us today. [ applause ] this is a very, very special moment because many years ago a young neil gorsuch started his legal career as a law clerk to Justice Kennedy. You remember that, right . It is a fitting testament to Justice Kennedys impact that upon giving the oath to Justice Gorsuch he will become the firstever Supreme Court justice to serve with one of his former law clerks. Thats sort of a big deal, isnt it . I sort of like that. Thats sort of good. [ applause ] it has never happened before. Thats pretty good. It also shows you have a lot of respect for this man. Thats very good. Were thrilled to have this historic moment with Justice Kennedy, with all of you here today, and with all americans watching us at home. Justice gorsuch, i, again, congratulate you and your entire family, and i wish gods blessings on your amazing journey ahead. I have no doubt you will go down as one of the truly great justices in the history of the United StatesSupreme Court. I now invite Justice Kennedy to say a few words. Thank you very much. [ applause ] thank you, mr. President. Mr. Chief justice, Justice Gorsuch and my fellow adherents to the idea to the reality and the rule of law. As many of you know, there are two oaths that a member of the federal judiciary must take. The first is the constitutional oath that so many of you are familiar with that applies to all three branches of the government. The second oath is one that applies just to federal judges. Both of the oaths date from the founding of the republic, the judicial oath dates from 1789, and both of these oaths remind us that we as a people are bound together, we as a people find our definition, our respect, our heritage and our destiny in the constitution, and so Justice Gorsuch, there is one oath remaining for you to take, the judicial oath, before you may receive and accept your commission from the president of the United States. Are you ready, Justice Gorsuch, to take the oath . Are you ready to take the oath, Justice Gorsuch . Please raise your right hand and repeat after me. I, neil m. Gorsuch, do solemnly swear. I, neil m. Gorsuch, do solemnly swear. That i will administer Justice Without respect to persons. That i will administer Justice Without respect to persons. And do equal right to the poor and the rich. And do equal right to the poor and the rich. That i will faithfully and impartially discharge and perform. That i will faithfully impartially discharge and perform. All of the duties incumbent upon me. All of the duties incumbent upon me. As associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. As associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Under the constitution and laws of the United States. Under the constitution and laws of the United States. So help me god. So help me god. Congratulations. [ applause ] [ applause ] i see before me so many to whom i owe so much. I know i would not be here today without your friendship and support. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank the president for nominating me, and for the great confidence in trust he proposed in me. I want to thank the Vice President for his constant encouragement and friendship throughout this process. Its not possible to mention here everyone i should mention, but i would be remiss if i didnt thank the president s counsel don mcgan and mike paleta, the Vice President s counsel and every Single Person in the white houses Councils Office for their tremendous and tireless support. I want to thank kelly ayotte and my day to day team for their humor, for their sage advice, for their faith as we spend months and so many miles trooping together through the senate complex. I want to thank every Single Person and there are so many in the white house and the department of justice who worked through so many late nights and long weeks on my behalf. I want to thanks, too, senator mcconnell and senator grassley and their excellent teams for their support and leadership, and i must thank my former law clerks, and my dear friends who gave so much of themselves so selflessly through these last three months. You are dear to me. This is truly your doing, and this is your day. I wish i could mention each of you by name, but you know who you are, and you know your names are etched in my heart forever. This process has reminded me just how outrageously blessed i am in my law clerks and in my family and in my friends, and i hope that i may continue to rely on each of you as i face this new challenge. To my former colleagues and the wonderful staff of the 10th circuit, i thank you for your faithful service and your friendship over so many years. To my new colleagues and the staff of the Supreme Court, thank you for the very warm welcome. I look forward to many happy years together, and i cannot tell you how honored i am to have here today my mentor, Justice Kennedy, administer the judicial oath, a beautiful oath as he did for me 11 years ago when i became a circuit judge. To the scalia family, i wont ever forget that the seat i inherit today is that of a very, very great man. To my wife, louise, and my daughters emma and bindi, thank you for your perseverance and your patience, your courage and your love. I simply could not have attempted this without you. To the American People, i am humbled by the trust placed in me today. I will never forget that to whom much is given, much will be expected, and i promise you that i will do all my power to permit to be a faithful servant of the constitutional and laws of this great nation. Thank you. [ applause ] and weve been watching the swearing in of the next justice of the Supreme Court, neil gorsuch with the federal judge for the last 11 years and earlier in his career clerk for Justice Anthony kennedy who, of course, administered the oath just a few moments ago. Lets go to pete williams, nbc justice correspondent where the oath was taken this morning and hes ready to hit the ground running. There is work for this judge to do. Reporter he doesnt have much choice. His First Official duty will be friday when the judges will meet in the first closeddoor conference to decide what to do next and it takes four votes to grant a case. Theres one thats been bouncing around for several weeks and its a test of whether businesses can refuse to provide their services for samesex weddings if they have religious objections. There is another big case pending here about whether the Second Amendment provides the right to have a gun outside the home. It was in 2008 when the Supreme Court said the Second Amendment provid has the right to provide a gun inside the home. And the final 13 cases of this term and the big one there is a religious freedom case. It comes from missouri. Its a challenge to laws in about half the states that says state money cannot be given directly or indirectly to churches. A Lutheran Church in missouri applied for money under the program to resurface its playgrounds. They said no, you cant have the money and thats discrimination when other nonprofits would get the money and not those connected with churches. He cant vote on cases argued before he got here, but he will hit the ground running, savannah. Thank you so much. Lets swing over to the white house where Peter Alexander is standing by. The newest justice neil gorsuch, 49 years old, potentially could spend decades on the court. This is obviously, one of the most momentous choices that a president can make. Reporter yes, saa van a youre exactly right and i spoke to a conservative in the rose garden and said this is perhaps the most important decision this president can make, a Supreme Court justice lasts longer than any other pick on this day. Politically, its his biggest triumph so far with the failure of the effort to repeal and replace obamacare. No Real Movement in terms of tax cuts and infrastructure. Finally, the president has something to hang his hat on as he jokes in the remarks saying i got it done in less than 100 days. This, in effect, binds the president s coalition. It succeeds in doing here as president that he promised as candidate that he would accomplish. Its notable that President Trump said he may have this opportunity many more times, notably th