Tammy Duckworth issues statement on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Chicago), released the following statement on President Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch:

“I take seriously my constitutional responsibility as a United States Senator to evaluate Judge Gorsuch’s qualifications for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. over the coming weeks, I will thoroughly assess his rulings and writings on a range of issues, particularly on civil and disability rights.

“While I will reserve judgment on Judge Gorsuch’s nomination until his confirmation hearing in order to give my decision the diligence it deserves, I am troubled by his judicial record of undermining the federal government’s ability to protect labor and environmental rights, his hostility toward a woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices, and by one of his previous ruling that refused to hold law enforcement accountable for excessive force that led to a young man’s death. I am also concerned by several of Judge Gorsuch’s rulings that would deny students with disabilities the right to a quality public education.

“It is vital that the Supreme Court serve as an independent, objective check on the president and Congress. Judge Gorsuch must prove he can fulfill that duty.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Tammy Duckworth issues statement on Trump’s Supreme Court nominee."