Here are some of the important clips from today’s hearing that highlight what Senators have said about Judge Gorsuch and his confirmation:
March 20, 2017
4 VIDEO TAKEAWAYS: Top Moments From Opening Statements In SCOTUS Hearing
Here are some of the important clips from today’s hearing that highlight what Senators have said about Judge Gorsuch and his confirmation:
Democrat Sen. Leahy Runs Through Judge Gorsuch’s Impressive Credentials
SEN. LEAHY: Judge Gorsuch has spent more than a decade on the federal bench. He graduated from Harvard Law School, he clerked for the Supreme Court, he served in the Department of Justice. He receieved a unanimous, well-qualified rating from the American Bar Association, all things very positive for a Supreme Court nominee.
Sen. Lee Praises Gorsuch’s Ability To Put The Law First & Not Promote Any Political Agenda
SEN. LEE: In a former life, when I was a practicing attorney, I had the good fortune of appearing in front of you on the Tenth Circuit and so I know from my own personal experience that you are one of the best judges in the country. You come to oral arguments prepared and you asked fair and probing questions that are designed to get at one thing and one thing only which is what the law says and what the law requires in each individual case, depending on the facts and circumstances of that case. You weren’t there to promote a personal agenda or a political agenda and you’re not there to grandstand. You are there to listen to both sides of the argument in the case. You write thoughtful and rigorous opinions. They are careful and well-reasoned and they are even interesting and pleasant to read which is very difficult to achieve in the world of appellate litigation. No I know I am easily entertained, but I find your opinions particularly interesting. You have the resume of a Supreme Court justice, but what is most impressive, and for our purposes what’s most important about your career and about the approach you take to the law is your fierce independence from partisan influence and from any personal bias that you might otherwise be inclined to harbor.
Democrat Sen. Durbin: Gorsuch Deserves A Hearing And A Vote
SEN. DURBIN: “The Democrats of the Senate Judiciary Committee will extend to you a courtesy which Senate Republicans denied to Judge Garland: a respectful hearing and a vote.”
Sen. Cruz Touts Gorsuch Credentials & Notes That Democrats Supported Him In The Past
CRUZ: Like the renowned justice he is set to replace, Judge Gorsuch is brilliant and has an impeccable academic record. His judicial record demonstrates a faithful commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. He has refused to legislate his own policy preferences from the bench while recognizing the pivotal role the judiciary plays in protecting the bill of rights. On the night he was nominated, Judge Gorsuch channeled Justice Scalia when he explained that, “a judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge, stretching for results he prefers, rather than those the law demands.” That is exactly right and those words should give comfort to the American people and to my Democratic colleagues. And it’s worth recalling that our friends on the Democratic side of the aisle understand this and indeed not too long ago, agreed with it. A decade ago, Judge Gorsuch was confirmed by this committee for the federal court of appeals by a voice vote. He was likewise confirmed by the entire United States Senate by a voice vote without a single Democrat speaking a word of opposition. Not a word of opposition from Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, not from Harry Reid or Ted Kennedy or John Kerry. Not from Senators Feinstein, Leahy or Durbin who still sit on this committee. Not even from Senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden. Not a one of them spoke a word against Judge Gorsuch’s nomination