Hatch Champions Religious Liberty at Press Conference

Press Release

Today, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee--along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), other Republican Senators, and religious liberty groups--held a press conference in support of the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

During the press conference, Senator Hatch condemned the questions about how Barrett's religious beliefs would affect her position on the bench, and called for "that type of questioning to hit the dustbin of history, where it belongs."

As former Chairman of the Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Finance Committee today, I have to say that we stoop pretty low if we start to raise questions of religious belief before somebody can serve on the federal judiciary. Now I hope that that type of questioning will hit the dustbin of history, where it belongs. Amy Barrett is a very qualified person. She should not be disqualified because she has a firm religious belief. And I think it's pretty bad if we say to people who are really good people that because of your religious belief, you cannot serve on the federal judiciary. If we go down that route, then can you imagine all the other issues that can be raised about various people and how difficult it would be to pick federal judges?

Amy is a highly qualified woman that has great experience--somebody we would want on the federal bench if we had any brains at all. I really resent the application of a religious test because she's devout in her faith. You can be devout in your faith and still uphold the law, even sometimes when you disagree with the law.

I'm proud of my colleagues for being willing to stand up, and I think it's time that we get rid of this type of thinking, and make sure that this type of thinking does not prevent qualified, outstanding people from serving on the federal judiciary, which is a benefit to all of us.

Background

Senator Hatch remains the Senate's foremost champion of religious liberty. As the principal author of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Hatch led his colleagues in filing an amicus brief in support of Hobby Lobby's rights under RFRA, and led a second group in submitting a legal brief in the case before the Supreme Court. In 2015, Hatch spoke in a series of eight speeches on the Senate floor about the importance of religious liberty. Recently, Attorney General Jeff Sessions praised Senator Hatch for his lifelong efforts to defend religious freedom.

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