Statement on SCOTUS Nominee Neil Gorsuch
Hispanic Federation strongly opposes the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter of the United States Constitution. It's justices must guarantee every person equal protection under the law. We have serious reservations about Judge Gorsuch's ability to put aside partisan ideology to dispense justice.
As a textualist, Judge Gorsuch's legal career has been characterized by an unwillingness to interpret the Constitution outside of the original intent of the framers. In doing this, he has advocated neutering the Constitution's ability to redress historical injustices. What's more, his judicial philosophy atrophies the Constitution, leaving it unable to address the challenges facing modern U.S. society.
Judge Gorsuch has criticized progressives for utilizing the courts to debate public policy – undermining the judiciary’s crucial role of addressing constitutional challenges. In this way, he has failed to acknowledge the Court's ability to safeguard fundamental rights from the whims of Presidents, Congress and local governments. His decisions have reflected hostility toward women’s reproductive rights, environmental regulations, workers’ rights, LGBTQ individuals, and disabled students. He would make it more difficult for agencies to enforce laws that keep our air and water clean, our food and medicine safe, and our workers‘ rights intact. Over and again, Judge Gorsuch has proven himself unable or unwilling to divorce his ideology from the rich veins of justice and fairness that run through American jurisprudence.
The next justice must be open-minded, fair, and independent. He should stand up for our constitutional values and ensure equal protection for all. Nothing in Judge Gorsuch's long career in the law suggests that he has the judicial philosophy or temperament to fulfill this solemn responsibility. We join with millions of other Americans in urging the Senate to oppose and reject his nomination.
