Grading Gorsuch

Reagan-era Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died a year ago last month. The Supreme Court vacancy has not been replaced since his demise. In 2016, the Democrats had less than a majority in the Senate and lacked the prowess to confirm Obama’s replacement pick for SCOTUS, or even implement the nuclear option they controversially wrote into senate rules in late 2013. For these reasons, we stand here today with all likelihood that an alternative pick, chosen by President Trump, Neil Gorsuch will be the newly appointed Supreme Court justice. He’s young, intelligent and a strong parallel to the iconic Scalia.

As of now, Gorsuch stands as having taken the eighth-longest amount of time for the replacement of a SCOTUS justice. And with high opposition from the Democrats, it could proceed longer. Not since Washington has any president had as long a time as Trump has with the confirmation of his cabinet members and it’s not looking to be different for this executive appointment either. Not for a second should it be believed the vocal tantrums from the Democrats and threats of filibuster by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to Gorsuch’s nomination is done so for principle’s sake. Gorsuch has been a respected judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals for over 10 years now. Many of his loud Democratic opponents once voted him into that judge’s seat. In fact, he was voted in unanimously by the Senate in 2006. Obama, Biden, Schumer, Reid and more said yes to him on the belief he had the qualifications and personal attributes to be a federal judge but now their tune has changed. It’s an all out war to derail the Trump train and prevent any sort of Republican victory. The current outright hypocrisy shows as much as I have ever seen in my lifetime, and is a good example of why, outside of Washington D.C., you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Gorsuch is a decent, patriotic and family-oriented man. He attended Columbia University for his bachelor’s degree and then received his juris-doctorate of law from Harvard University. Though he could be considered an intellectual elite, he is surprisingly grounded in sound conservative thinking, compassionate and well spoken. He refreshingly hates judicial activism. As a SCOTUS justice, he would not pervert his role as a judge and become a political figure. He believes the Supreme Court has recently been used in excess to promote the social agendas of particular political parties. To sum it up, he says: “American liberals have become addicted to the courtroom, relying on judges and lawyers rather than elected leaders and the ballot box, as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.” He has a point, wrongly judges are used as political minions to continue party versus party conflicts. Gorsuch knows that as a judge, he would not be a legislature.

Like conservative Scalia, Gorush, is a constitutional originalist. He uses this framework to interpret all previous laws. He believes that a law should be implemented with the historical context surrounding the date of its origin. He has a disdain for federal overreach and an impeccable record in the defense for religious liberty. Some years ago, he defended Hobby Lobby in their plea for the government not to mandate that they conduct their business against their religious conscious. He ruled against the government forced Affordable Care Act provision that involuntarily compelled companies to pay for their employees’ “morning after pills,” which the owners of Hobby Lobby considered to be an abortifacient.

In his own words, Gorsuch labels himself an outdoorsman and hunter. That, on its own ground, may win the hearts of the masses. No self proclaimed hunter would be expected to take away guns in any fashion. The NRA alone has spent over a million dollars in an ad campaign to confirm Gorsuch. From one end of Montana to the other, ads have been played urging Senator Tester to avoid towing his party’s line and confirm Gorsuch. Last week, Gorsuch sat through two days of grueling Senate hearings, taking as hard as questions can get from both sides of the aisle. He handled it all with grace and poise. His words disarmed with elegance most of the pointed attacks he faced. If anything, his testimony testified to the nation why in a few weeks he will likely be one of the next great Supreme Court justices.

Michael Burns is the Finance Chair for the Valley County Republicans Central Committee.