03.30.17

Sen. Maria Cantwell says she’ll oppose Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch

’s Sen. Maria Cantwell has joined Sen. Patty Murray and most Democrats to oppose the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

By:  Jim Brunner
Source: The Seattle Times

Falling in line with most Democrats, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell will oppose confirmation of Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a statement Thursday, Cantwell cited Gorsuch’s reputation as a constitutional conservative and said he did not provide enough information on his philosophy during Senate confirmation hearings.

Cantwell also cited Gorsuch’s legal writings and decisions as a federal judge, questioning whether he’d defend the right to privacy and environmental or public-health regulations.

“Gorsuch has also ruled against women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. He has frequently sided with employers over employees and favored corporate interests over public interests,” Cantwell’s statement said.

Like Washington’s senior U.S. senator, Patty Murray, who announced her opposition to Gorsuch last week, Cantwell said she also will support a filibuster of Gorsuch.

“Many difficult issues will come before the court in the months and years ahead. We need a U.S. Supreme Court justice who will stand up for equal justice for all. I still have questions and concerns about Judge Gorsuch,” Cantwell’s statement said. “Therefore, I cannot support cloture and will not support the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Cantwell’s statement did not discuss Gorsuch’s qualifications. Both Murray and Cantwell were in the Senate in 2006, when Gorsuch was unanimously confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

A conservative political group attacked Cantwell’s announcement as a “flip-flop,” noting she had opposed a Democratic filibuster in 2006 of Justice Samuel Alito, though she voted against confirming him.

“Senator Cantwell’s decision to join the filibuster of the highly-qualified Judge Gorsuch shows she is pandering to the left-wing interest groups of Washington, D.C., instead of representing the common sense values of Washington state,” Nathan Brand, a spokesman for America Rising Squared, said in a statement.

A Supreme Court seat has been vacant for more than a year, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

In their own show of obstruction, Republicans famously refused to consider President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the court throughout 2016, infuriating Democrats.

In turn, Democrats have mostly opposed Gorsuch’s confirmation. Two exceptions are Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, of North Dakota, who said they will support Gorsuch and oppose a filibuster.