A Forsyth County legislator joined the Georgia Attorney General and a handful of other officials this week in supporting President Donald Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court.
District 27 state Sen. Michael Williams said the move is a sign that Trump is keeping his campaign promises in nominating “a man who has dedicated his life to the law.”
“As a judge, he held a deep appreciation for the Constitution and our founding documents,” said Williams, who served as Georgia’s co-chair for Trump’s campaign and was the first elected official in the state to endorse him. “He’s a conservative who honors original intent and will not legislate from the bench.”
Trump promised during his campaign to pick from a list of 21 prominent conservative judges to replace the late Antonin Scalia, who served on the Supreme Court from 1986 until his death in 2016, with someone who shares Scalia’s commitment to interpreting the Constitution as it was originally written.
Gorsuch is a Denver-based judge on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In picking Gorsuch from the original list, which Trump and aids recognized was crucial to solidifying support from evangelicals and easing broader worries that the unorthodox politician would go rogue on a lifetime appointment, the process was perhaps more orderly and ordinary than is typical for the improvisational businessman and ex-reality TV star.
“Georgia will benefit from a court that rightly takes into account the limits on the federal government, the rights of individuals and states’ rights,” Williams said. “Gorsuch brings this kind of dedication to the law and will be a judge who will protect the Constitution.
“He has an impeccable record, and despite Democrats’ shenanigans, he should be easily confirmed.”
A group of 20 attorneys general are also among those publicly urging Gorsuch’s confirmation, including Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
“Judge Gorsuch has a proven commitment to upholding the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, and he possesses the qualifications, temperament and judicial philosophy to be an excellent Associate Justice,” Carr said in a news release.
The coalition expressed its support via a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Patrick Leahy.
The letter written by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey notes Gorsuch won bipartisan Senate support in his confirmation to the appellate court.
It was signed by attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.