ICYMI: Graham Discusses Future of Federal Judiciary
WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) participated in an online forum hosted by the South Carolina chapters of the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy to discuss the federal judiciary.
On President Trump and Senate Republicans working to transform the federal judiciary:
- GRAHAM: “…President Trump has done more than anybody in my lifetime to reshape the federal judiciary to a center right judiciary by focusing on filling every vacancy. Chuck Grassley was the chairman for the first two years of President Trump's term, [he] did a great job. We've done 53 court of appeals 2 Supreme Court nominees 146 district judges…We've made it a priority. Mitch McConnell deserves a lot of credit. We're in the appointment business in the Senate.” https://youtu.be/ClekfCebsG8?t=213
- GRAHAM: “And I can tell you, for all those who campaign on our behalf and say that judges matter, Trump heard you. I heard you. Mitch McConnell heard you. And we have delivered. And here's what I would urge you to think about: four more years of this. Four more years of picking Circuit Court judges. We flipped the Second, the Third, and the Eleventh [Circuits]. Four more years, we can flip more...” https://youtu.be/ClekfCebsG8?t=258
On the fight to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh:
- GRAHAM: “So, what I said that day, I meant. I looked every one of them in the eye and said I would never have done this to your nominees. I wouldn't have chosen Sotomayor or Kagan, but I thought they were qualified. Brett Kavanaugh was as qualified as anybody who's ever been nominated to the Supreme Court. He is an exceedingly good man. And what we were doing to him was unconscionable. And here's why it matters: if they had succeeded in driving him away and he had withdrawn, who would be next on our side? What young conservative man or woman would want to throw their hat in the ring and go through this garbage?” https://youtu.be/ClekfCebsG8?t=624
- GRAHAM: “And now, after Kavanaugh, everything has changed. And thank God he is on the bench.” https://youtu.be/ClekfCebsG8?t=757
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