March 30, 2017

Duckworth to Oppose & Filibuster Judge Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court Nomination

 

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) tonight issued the following statement announcing her opposition to Judge Neil Gorsuch's nomination to be the next Supreme Court Justice, as well as her intent to support a filibuster of the nomination:

"When Judge Gorsuch was nominated, I shared my concerns with his predilection for putting corporate profits ahead of people time and again, as well as with his troubling rulings on disability rights, civil rights, reproductive rights and other issues.

"Judge Gorsuch had several opportunities to explain himself, his past positions and his judicial philosophy, but he did not. Earning a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court requires much more than a genial demeanor and an ability to artfully dodge even the most pointed of questions. In his four days of confirmation hearings, Judge Gorsuch did not show any ability to alleviate my concerns. I cannot vote to confirm him.

"Despite the President and Republican leadership's efforts to rush a process they were all too happy to see halted just a few months ago, I take seriously my constitutional responsibility as a United States Senator to offer the President my informed consent. Unfortunately, Judge Gorsuch has not made the effort to meet with me in person to answer the serious questions I have about his record and he in fact cancelled a meeting we had previously scheduled. I refuse to vote to end debate on a nominee who refuses to provide any answers to my questions."