Politics –
Neil Gorsuch Is Trump’s
Supreme Court Pick
Donald Trump has decided to go with a veritable clone of the late Justice Antonin Scalia in his selection of Neil Gorsuch for the US Supreme Court.
Politics
Trump made the first high court pick of his presidency during a Facebook Live event late Tuesday night, prompting an immediate response from Democratic leaders.
“After the relentless contempt for women that candidate Trump displayed throughout his campaign, it is no surprise that President Trump intends to place someone hostile to women’s rights on the Supreme Court,” said House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California.
“In the Hobby Lobby case, Judge Neil Gorsuch revealed his eagerness to single out women’s health for discrimination and enable employers to meddle in their workers’ most intimate health decisions,” she added.
So, who exactly is Neil Gorsuch?
Since 2006, Judge Gorsuch has served on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, in Colorado. Despite pro and con opinions regarding his selection, many agree he has the typical pedigree of a high court justice. Gorsuch graduated from Columbia, Harvard and Oxford, clerked for two Supreme Court justices and did a stint at the Department of Justice. He also attended Harvard Law with former President Barack Obama.
In response to the Gorsuch selection, Norm Eisen, who was Mr. Obama’s former ethics czar and also another classmate, tweeted: “Hearing rumors Trump’s likely Supreme Court pick is Neil Gorsuch, my (and President Obama’s!) 1991 Harvard Law classmate. If so, a great guy!”
Conservatives are giddy over the selection of Gorsuch, since they consider him to be one of them. He has been outspoken for the right to religious freedom and his disdain for the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. He has also advocated a clear separation of powers and wants to curb judicial deference to bureaucrats’ interpretation of laws. Although he hasn’t directly ruled on abortion rights, his pro-life views are apparent from his condemnation of euthanasia/assisted suicide, which is currently legal in 6 states and on the verge of being legalized in Washington, D.C.
Despite Gorsuch’s impressive Washington resume, his family history in the city is somewhat tainted.
His mother, Anne Gorsuch Burford, ran the Environmental Protection Agency at a point during the Reagan administration. However, she was forced to resign in 1983, facing a criminal investigation and a House contempt of Congress citation over records related to alleged political favoritism in toxic-waste cleanups. She maintained her innocence and was never charged.
In addition to his legal background, Gorsuch is an outdoorsman who fishes, hunts and skis.
Politics
As expected, Democrats are already preparing for a fight against a Gorsuch confirmation. However, CNN legal analyst and best-selling author Laura Coates says Gorsuch’s presence on the bench won’t change the dynamic of the court.
“Like his predecessor, Antonin Scalia, Gorsuch is an originalist and textualist,” Coates said. “Replacing a conservative icon with his ideological equal will merely restore the status quo that existed during Scalia’s tenure, not shift the ideological composition of the court. As such, Gorsuch’s presence will barely move the needle, let alone guarantee the reversal of Roe v. Wade, a case that escaped reversal even when Scalia was presiding.”
She added: “Democrats hoping to preserve Roe v. Wade would be wise to save their battleships for the second (and perhaps third) judicial vacancy that will arise during Trump’s term.”
If appointed, the 49-year-old Gorsuch would be the youngest US Supreme Court justice on the bench.
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Considering how the Repubs totally disrespected Pres. Obama, especially on this matter, I'm fine with the Dems NOT just accepting any nominee of Trump's right off the bat – as long as the Dems recognize that this ain't the battlefield they want to fight or die on. No need to fight this nomination for too long.
In other words, I agree with Ms. Coates:
"Democrats hoping to preserve Roe v. Wade would be wise to save their battleships for the second (and perhaps third) judicial vacancy that will arise during Trump’s term."