Former solicitors general serving under Democratic and Republican presidents penned a letter of support for Judge Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination on Wednesday.
The solicitors general — who served under former Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — wrote Senate leadership to express their support for Gorsuch’s confirmation. The solicitors general signatories include Neal Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general under Obama after the president selected Elena Kagan to serve on the Supreme Court.
“Through different administrations, both Republican and Democrat, we have served as the government’s chief advocate before the Supreme Court,” the solicitors general wrote. “Collectively, we have argued hundreds of cases before the Supreme Court and the federal appeals courts. Through our experience and close interaction with the court, we have developed an appreciation for the qualifications that a position on the court demands. Notwithstanding our service to presidents of different parties, we are unified in our belief that Judge Gorsuch is eminently qualified to serve on the court and should be confirmed.”
The solicitors general hailed Gorsuch as having “earned a reputation as a judge who treats all litigants with respect and believes that legal opinions should be clear and understandable for the parties in a case, not just for the lawyers.” The signatories note that some of them served with Gorsuch in the Justice Department and came away believing Gorsuch has the experience and intellect capable of serving on the high court.
The letter was sent Wednesday to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, the Judiciary Committee’s ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Hearings on Gorsuch’s high court nomination begin in the Judiciary Committee on Monday.
Gorsuch Letter by Ryan Lovelace on Scribd
