Lawmakers questioning Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch at his Senate confirmation are asking about something called “Chevron deference.”

For the record, it is not about letting someone ahead of you in line at the gas station. But it is a legal concept Gorsuch has addressed as a judge on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver since 2006.

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Still, any short-term gains for liberals during Trump’s administration are sure to be outweighed over time, said Pamela Karlan, a Stanford University law professor and former Obama Justice Department official.

“Supreme Court justices are on the court for a good long time. Putting a justice on the Supreme Court who doesn’t believe in any kind of deference to agency decisions means that even if five, 10, 15 or 40 years from now, the Democratic Party is in control of the White House and progressives are in control of administrative agencies, somebody who doesn’t believe in deference may continue to override the will of the people on these things,” Karlan said.