By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Politcal Reporter
Tuesday, April 4, 2017, the US Senate continued its debate on whether or not to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the US Supreme Court to fill the seat vacated by the death of Antonin Scalia last year. US Senator Luther Strange (R-Alabama) said that Senate Democrats have begun a talkathon to delay confirmation of Gorsuch, whom he called: “A mainstream judge.”
Sen. Strange said, “Tonight, the Democrats’ political theater over the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch continues. It’s disappointing to see a proud tradition of the Senate trampled by the Democrats for the sake of politics, especially over a mainstream nominee as eminently qualified as Judge Gorsuch.”
Sen. Strange added, “Nevertheless, it is a privilege to preside over the Senate during this historic moment, and my Republican colleagues and I are ready to do whatever it takes to uphold the decision of the President, and of the American people.”
Sen. Strange said, “By the end of the week, we will have a new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and neither partisan posturing from the other side of the aisle nor lack of sleep will get in the way.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said on the Senate floor, “Two months ago today — before Neil Gorsuch had even been nominated — I spoke on the Senate floor about the rhetoric we could expect to hear from the other side after the president’s nominee was announced. I predicted then that we would see many on the Left ‘[try] to paint whomever is actually nominated in apocalyptic terms. Doesn’t matter who this Republican president nominates,’ I said then. ‘Doesn’t matter who any Republican president nominates, really,’ I continued.”
Sen. McConnell said, “No matter the nominee, I said, ‘We can expect to hear a lot of End Times rhetoric from the Left… [and] [i]n fact, we already have.’ I was alluding then to the fact that, sight unseen, we had already begun hearing from those on the Far Left who vowed to oppose anyone the president nominated. The Democratic Leader even joined in, saying he would oppose anyone from the president’s list of candidates and would ’fight it tooth-and-nail, as long as we have to’ in order to keep Justice Scalia’s seat open, even for the entirety of the president’s term. Remember, that was before Judge Gorsuch was even selected — before we knew his credentials, before we’d heard from current and former colleagues, before we’d examined his judicial record, and well before his hearing before the Judiciary Committee. Our friends across the aisle made it clear then that their opposition to this nominee would have nothing to do with the nominee himself. In fact, I said we could expect to hear a number of convoluted excuses as to why they wouldn’t support the president’s yet-to-be-named nominee — excuses that would amount to little more than their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the election. “Sure enough, that’s just what we’ve seen over the past few weeks. They are opposing this well-qualified nominee despite his impressive credentials, bipartisan support and excellent testimony before the committee. Judge Neil Gorsuch is such an outstanding candidate, so non-controversial, so well-esteemed by people across the political spectrum that Democrats have been forced to talk about pretty much anything — President Trump…think tanks…you name it — but the nominee himself.”
Sen. McConnell continued, “Judge Gorsuch has such a proven record of judicial independence and impartiality that people from the Left to the Right — and everywhere in between — have voiced their confidence in his fitness to serve on the High Court. It explains why the American Bar Association — which, according to the Democratic Leader and former Democratic Judiciary Chairman, is the ‘gold standard’ for evaluating judges — gave Gorsuch its highest rating possible, unanimously well-qualified.”
President Donald J. Trump said on social media, “With Judge Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, America will be a more free, fair, and just Nation for all of our citizens.”
Conservatives are optimistic that Pres. Trump will get to choose more members of the Supreme Court during his term, and that is almost inevitable especially if he is re-elected to a second term. Justice Ginsburg is 84 and has health issues. Her serving to 92 appears doubtful. Justice Kennedy is almost 81, Justice Breyer is 78, Justice Thomas is almost 69, Justice Alito is 67, Chief Justice Roberts is 62. Even Justice Sotomayor, who was appointed by Pres. Obama is almost 63 and has some health issues.
If Trump can tilt the court to the right then many controversial rulings like: Obergefell versus Hodges and Roe versus Wade could be reversed in coming years.
Alabama Supreme Court, Sen. Luther Strange, Neil Gorsuch, Pres. Donald Trump, Supreme Court, advise and consent, confirmation, Roe versus Wade, Sen. Mitch McConnell.
