Sen. Schatz to Oppose Gorsuch Nomination

U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) released the following statement about his opposition to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination as a justice on the United States Supreme Court.

“We need to know if Judge Gorsuch will serve as an independent check on the executive and legislative branches. We need to know if Judge Gorsuch will interpret the law fairly or reliably favor the powerful. And we need to know if he will uphold the right to privacy, the basis for a woman’s right to choose. Judge Gorsuch has refused to give the Senate any clarity.

“We are left to evaluate his record, which is troubling. In his career at the Justice Department and as a judge, he did not challenge executive overreach. He has expanded the idea that corporations are people, extending an absurd legal doctrine into new territory, enabling corporations to assert religious rights previously assigned only to real people.

“I am deeply troubled that, in Judge Gorsuch’s view, the religious rights of a corporation outweigh the rights of the women who work for the corporation.

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“In case after case, Judge Gorsuch consistently sided with corporations over individuals, undermined women’s rights, and failed to protect workers. His refusal to answer questions on long-decided cases or condemn attacks on the judiciary during the hearing demonstrates that he is outside of the legal mainstream.

“After careful consideration of Judge Gorsuch’s record and testimony, I have decided that I will not support his confirmation to the Supreme Court, and I will oppose any and all efforts to advance his nomination.”