Georgetown Law Professor: ‘I Support Judge Gorsuch’s Nomination Because He Is an Originalist’

SOLUM Thank you very ░░░░░░░░ senator ranking member Feinstein ░░░░░░░░ voted for you in ░░░░░░░░ and it s a ░░░░░░░░ to appear before you ░░░░░░░░ My statement concerns an ░░░░░░░░ of Judge Gorsuch s ░░░░░░░░ philosophy originalism Over the ░░░░░░░░ of this hearings I ░░░░░░░░ we have learned several ░░░░░░░░ about originalism and there ░░░░░░░░ still some things I ░░░░░░░░ that might be cleared ░░░░░░░░ What is originalism It ░░░░░░░░ of three basic ideas ░░░░░░░░ first idea is that ░░░░░░░░ meaning of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ be its original public ░░░░░░░░ The meaning of the ░░░░░░░░ and phrases in context ░░░░░░░░ we the people The ░░░░░░░░ idea is that that ░░░░░░░░ is fixed not that ░░░░░░░░ law is fixed but ░░░░░░░░ the meaning of the ░░░░░░░░ is fixed at the ░░░░░░░░ they re written And ░░░░░░░░ final idea is that ░░░░░░░░ original public meaning should ░░░░░░░░ what judges do That ░░░░░░░░ the President the members ░░░░░░░░ this august body are ░░░░░░░░ bound by the original ░░░░░░░░ meaning of the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ the course of the ░░░░░░░░ three days we ve ░░░░░░░░ some other things We ░░░░░░░░ learned that there are ░░░░░░░░ number of myths about ░░░░░░░░ and I think that ░░░░░░░░ myths have for the ░░░░░░░░ part been cleared up ░░░░░░░░ does not ask the ░░░░░░░░ What would Madison do ░░░░░░░░ very silly question when ░░░░░░░░ try to apply the ░░░░░░░░ to modern circumstances We ░░░░░░░░ learned that the words ░░░░░░░░ the Constitution can be ░░░░░░░░ to new circumstances At ░░░░░░░░ time the Constitution was ░░░░░░░░ California did not exist ░░░░░░░░ was not a state ░░░░░░░░ we have no problem ░░░░░░░░ that nonetheless California is ░░░░░░░░ a state and entitled ░░░░░░░░ two senators in this ░░░░░░░░ We ve learned that ░░░░░░░░ V Board one of ░░░░░░░░ most important decisions in ░░░░░░░░ history of the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ is not inconsistent with ░░░░░░░░ original meaning of the ░░░░░░░░ As Judge McConnell demonstrated ░░░░░░░░ 1995 Brown V Board ░░░░░░░░ required by the original ░░░░░░░░ of the Constitution And ░░░░░░░░ ve learned this very ░░░░░░░░ that originalism is not ░░░░░░░░ with precedent What I ░░░░░░░░ like to say today ░░░░░░░░ importantly is that originalism ░░░░░░░░ in the mainstream of ░░░░░░░░ jurisprudence because throughout our ░░░░░░░░ for the most part ░░░░░░░░ some important exceptions the ░░░░░░░░ Court has been an ░░░░░░░░ court But originalism is ░░░░░░░░ the mainstream for another ░░░░░░░░ Originalism can and should ░░░░░░░░ endorsed by both Democrats ░░░░░░░░ Republicans by Progressives and ░░░░░░░░ This point is important ░░░░░░░░ me personally I m ░░░░░░░░ a conservative I m ░░░░░░░░ a Libertarian I m ░░░░░░░░ a Republican but I ░░░░░░░░ believe in originalism Why ░░░░░░░░ that It s because ░░░░░░░░ m convinced that giving ░░░░░░░░ to judges to override ░░░░░░░░ Constitution to impose their ░░░░░░░░ vision of constitutional law ░░░░░░░░ dangerous for everyone If ░░░░░░░░ re a Democrat and ░░░░░░░░ know that the next ░░░░░░░░ to the United States ░░░░░░░░ Court will be appointed ░░░░░░░░ a Republican President and ░░░░░░░░ by a Republican Senate ░░░░░░░░ you prefer that an ░░░░░░░░ like Judge Gorsuch be ░░░░░░░░ or would you prefer ░░░░░░░░ conservative justice who s ░░░░░░░░ living constitutionalist who believes ░░░░░░░░ their values are an ░░░░░░░░ ground for modifying or ░░░░░░░░ the constitutional text There ░░░░░░░░ a final reason that ░░░░░░░░ is in the mainstream ░░░░░░░░ Supreme Court has never ░░░░░░░░ the right to override ░░░░░░░░ Constitution There are cases ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court did ░░░░░░░░ fact depart from original ░░░░░░░░ but in all of ░░░░░░░░ cases the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ strained to make its ░░░░░░░░ consistent with the text ░░░░░░░░ ignored the text altogether ░░░░░░░░ support Judge Gorsuch s ░░░░░░░░ because he is an ░░░░░░░░