WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said he was pleased that on Tuesday President Donald Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the Supreme Court, while U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said the candidate’s record needs thoroughly reviewed.
If confirmed, Gorsuch would fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
“Crucially, Judge Gorsuch understands the proper role of a judge,” Toomey said in a prepared statement. “He understands that his job is to apply the law and U.S. Constitution as written, not to pick winners and losers based on personal or partisan policy preferences.”
Toomey said that Gorsuch’s record shows that he will treat everyone equally — regardless of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, political views, influence or wealth.
“And I believe that like Justice Scalia, Judge Gorsuch will be a principled justice, will be dedicated to the principles of originalism, and will neutrally apply the law, even when doing so leads to a policy outcome he personally opposes,” he said. “Judge Gorsuch’s record indicates that he has the character, intellect, and experience to make an excellent addition to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
For his part, Casey said he plans to thoroughly review Gorsuch’s record, particularly his appellate decisions and his answers to questions during the hearing and those submitted in writing afterward.
“The Supreme Court, under Chief Justice Roberts, has moved far outside the mainstream and has too often favored big corporations at the expense of our workers and middle class families,” Casey said. “I am concerned that far right groups presented an edict to Donald Trump when he was a candidate, demanding that he select a nominee from their approved list. These same organizations have pushed for legal rulings that rig the system in favor of big corporations and against workers, stacking the deck against everyday Pennsylvanians.”
Gorsuch earned his undergraduate degree from Columbia University, his law degree from Harvard, and a PhD in Law from Oxford University. In 2006, the U.S. Senate confirmed Judge Gorsuch to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit without a single Democrat or Republican objecting.
“I plan to apply the same standard of fairness to the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch. And I hope my fellow Senators will do the same,” Toomey said. “I hope they will review Judge Gorsuch’s record with an open mind. And I hope they will remember that the test is not whether we agree with every decision Judge Gorsuch has rendered, but whether Judge Gorsuch understands the proper role of a judge and has the character, intellect, and experience to merit confirmation.”
