04.05.17

Murkowski Expresses Support for Supreme Court Nominee

“He is not merely a good choice, he is the best choice.”

Today U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) spoke on the Senate floor on the qualifications of Judge Neil Gorsuch, the nominee to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and to offer her support for his confirmation. 

“After spending time with Judge Gorsuch, after studying his life story, I am left with the undeniable impression that Neil Gorsuch has been nominated to a position that he has prepared his whole life to assume. He is not merely a good choice in my book, he's the best choice. He will not be a good justice. I believe he will be a great justice. Perhaps a justice of historic proportion. And so today I offer Judge Gorsuch my most enthusiastic endorsement, and I have no doubt that before we leave for Easter recess, he will be confirmed as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court.”

LAM Gorsuch 4.5

(Click image to watch video of floor speech.)

With respect to reports that the Senate Democratic Leader intends to filibuster the nomination, Senator Murkowski commented:

“I pride myself as one who believes in the traditions of the Senate. But it is not the tradition of the Senate to filibuster a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. I do not believe that Judge Gorsuch is getting a fair shake in today's Senate. And as much and as deeply as I care about bipartisanship in this body, I will not acquiesce to an effort to deny Judge Gorsuch a seat on the Supreme Court. And I acknowledge my friends on the other side of the aisle who have indicated that they will not support a filibuster, and I implore those of my colleagues who have indicated that they will filibuster the nomination of Judge Gorsuch to reconsider that position.”

Click here for text of the floor speech.