Gorsuch Blistered In The Senate: Democrat Offers 4 Reasons Why He Should Worry All of Us, Even Trump Voters
Reprinted with permission from Alternet.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) began the confirmation hearing of Judge Neil Gorsuch by emphasizing her disappointment that President Obama’s choice for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, was denied a hearing. She went on to explain that Gorsuch is no “reasonable mainstream conservative,” but rather a deeply disconcerting “originalist.” But that isn’t the only worry Democrats should have about him.
Here are four reason why Trump’s pick may not even represent those who voted for him.
1. The Frozen Trucker
“Last year Judge Gorsuch sat on a case that involved a truck driver who was stranded in the freezing cold for several hours, after his trailer’s brakes froze,” Feinstein said, referencing the case of Alphonse Maddin, the “frozen trucker,” who was fired soon after the incident.
“His employer directed him to wait for a repairman,” Feinstein continued. But no one came.
“The trucker in this case wasn’t fired for refusing to operate his vehicle,” Gorsuch wrote, ruling against his colleagues on the appeals court panel. “Perhaps TransAm should not have fired him,” Gorsuch said, “but Maddin’s only legally protected option was to sit and wait.”
According to a November 2016 study, there is a strong correlation between trucking and Trump. In fact, “Among the 29 states where truck driver is the most common job, all but three—California, Oregon, and Vermont—voted to elect Donald Trump president,” Vocativ reported.
2. The Chevron Doctrine
“In another case, Judge Gorsuch wrote a separate opinion, this time to challenge a long-standing legal doctrine that allows agencies to write regulations necessary to effectively implement the laws Congress passes and the president signs,” Feinstein pointed out. “It’s called the Chevron Doctrine.”
However, Justice Antonin Scalia argued in support of Chevron, which he praised for allowing “flexibility, and appropriate political participation, in the administrative process.”
According to Feinstein, Chevron is “fundamental to how our government addresses real-world challenges in our country.”
3. Roe v. Wade
“The Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld Roe’s core finding, making it settled law, for the last 44 years,” Feinstein pointed out, before revealing a list of 39 related cases since.
“Roe insured that women and their doctors will decide what is best for their care, not politicians,” she continued.
President Trump vowed that his nominee would not only be pro-life, but would “automatically” overturn Roe v. Wade. Gorsuch, being firmly against abortion under any circumstances, would do so.
However, more than two-thirds of Americans oppose overturning the decision, according to a Pew Research study earlier this year.
4. Gun Violence
“Judge Gorsuch wrote two separate opinions that argued in favor of making it harder to convict felons who possess guns,” Feinstein noted.
Whatever happened to “law and order,” “Make America Safe Again” and ending “American carnage“?
Watch the live Senate confirmation hearing of Judge Neil Gorsuch:
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