Duckworth Statement on Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court

WASHINGTON, DC - After President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill a lifetime appointment as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) released the following statement:

"I take seriously my constitutional responsibility as a United States Senator to evaluate Judge Gorsuch's qualifications for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. Over the coming weeks, I will thoroughly assess his rulings and writings on a range of issues, particularly on civil and disability rights.

"While I will reserve judgment on Judge Gorsuch's nomination until his confirmation hearing in order to give my decision the diligence it deserves, I am troubled by his judicial record of undermining the Federal Government's ability to protect labor and environmental rights, his hostility towards a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices, and by one of his previous rulings that refused to hold law enforcement accountable for excessive force that led to a young man's death. I am alsoconcerned byseveral of Judge Gorsuch's rulings that would deny students with disabilities the right to a quality public education.

"It is vital that the Supreme Court serve as an independent, objective check on the President and Congress. Judge Gorsuch must prove he can fulfill that duty."

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