[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 2]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 1629]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   SUPREME COURT NOMINEE NEIL GORSUCH

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TERRI A. SEWELL

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2017

  Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in response to 
President Trump's recent nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the 
Supreme Court. I now call on my Senate colleagues to rigorously vet his 
nomination and ensure that his values and constitutional philosophies 
align with those of mainstream America. At this critical juncture in 
our nation's history, it is important that this nominee be a fair and 
impartial adjudicator of the laws that protect the rights of all 
Americans.
  In the coming days and weeks, I look forward to learning more about 
the judicial opinions and constitutional philosophy of Judge Gorsuch. 
Unfortunately, Republicans did not extend this same courtesy to 
President Obama's nominee Merrick Garland. For 300 days, Senate 
Republicans defied the Constitution, ignoring President Obama's 
nominee, and refusing to even give him a hearing. However, I along with 
my Democratic colleagues value the Constitution over partisan politics.
  Therefore, I hope for a fair and vigorous vetting process of Judge 
Gorsuch and his judicial record. The Supreme Court will likely make 
many critical decisions in the upcoming decades, affecting issues from 
voting rights to privacy rights to consumer protections. America needs 
a justice whose interpretation of the Constitution aligns with American 
values and the rule of law.

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