President Donald Trump promised the American people he would nominate an unwavering supporter of the United States Constitution to the Supreme Court. He has now kept that promise.
After recently meeting with him, it is abundantly clear Judge Neil Gorsuch is an outstanding choice to serve on the Supreme Court.
Throughout his career, Judge Gorsuch has been a stalwart defender of the Constitution. He has repeatedly shown his commitment to our country’s founding principles of economic opportunity, fiscal responsibility, limited government and individual liberty.
These principles have served to make our nation exceptional throughout our history.
Judge Gorsuch has led a remarkable career in both the public and private sectors, and has demonstrated a keen understanding and appreciation of the law. He has impeccable academic and judicial records, and is a mainstream judge who knows his role is to interpret the law, not make the law
I have no doubt that Judge Gorsuch will honor Justice Antonin Scalia’s formidable, impressive legacy of interpreting the Constitution based on the original intent of the Founding Fathers.
Throughout last year, I and other members of the U.S. Senate held our ground in saying that no nominee to the Supreme Court should be confirmed until after the presidential election.
We gave the American people a voice in the process. We knew that the hyperpartisanship and politics of a presidential election cycle should never have any place in the nomination and confirmation of a Supreme Court justice, a lifetime appointment.
The integrity of the advice and consent process, clearly spelled out in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution was at stake.
In protecting the integrity of this sacred Constitutional process, we did our job. Now that President Trump has announced his nomination, it’s time to continue doing our job.
I hope Democrats will not follow the obstructionist tactics they have already displayed this year, especially considering 11 of them, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, supported Judge Gorsuch when he was unanimously confirmed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last June, Sen. Schumer tweeted, “In order for justice to remain a pillar of this nation we must have a functioning judicial branch. The Supreme Court of the United States must have nine justices.”
Later that same month, Sen. Schumer also said on the floor of the Senate, “Every day that goes by without a ninth justice is another day the American people’s business is not getting done.”
Yet last month, Sen. Schumer went on CNN and said, “We absolutely would keep the seat open ... we will fight it tooth-and-nail, as long as we have to.”
Sen. Schumer and other Democrats announced their opposition before President Trump even announced a nominee.
The political theater of 2016 had no place in the confirmation process last year. Now is the time to govern, not to engage in the far off political theater of 2018 and 2020.
Republicans put aside political games to confirm two justices to the Supreme Court under both President Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton.
Now, President Trump has nominated Judge Gorsuch, a principled judge who will put the Constitution and the rights of all Americans at the forefront of any decision he makes.
Judge Gorsuch’s record of service, and his commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law, is quite clear. I’m looking forward to voting to confirm his nomination and to ensuring we have a fully functioning Supreme Court.
Sen. David Perdue is a Georgia Republican. Contact him at 383 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-3521; 191 Peachtree St. NE, Suite 3250, Atlanta 30303, 404-865-0087; perdue.senate.gov.