U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow Statement on the Nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow Statement on the Nomination of John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow released the following statement on her decision to vote against the confirmation of John Roberts to be the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

"I regard my vote on the nomination for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court as one of the most important votes I will cast as a United States Senator because of the impact of the Supreme Court on future generations.

"I take this constitutional responsibility very seriously and have closely studied Judge Roberts' writings and testimony at the Judiciary Committee hearings. I commend Senators Specter and Leahy for conducting the hearings in a civil and bipartisan manner.

"The Constitution grants all Americans the same rights, liberties and freedoms under the law. These are the sacred, bedrock values upon which the United States of America was founded. And we count on the Supreme Court to protect these constitutional rights at all times, whether they are popular or not.

"Unfortunately, Judge Roberts refused to answer most substantive questions about how he would protect our fundamental constitutional rights. Because of his failure to answer questions on the major legal issues of our time in a forthright manner, I feel compelled to base my decision on his writings and opinions.

"When you closely examine these documents, you see a forceful and instinctive opposition toward protecting the fundamental rights of all Americans. In case after case, Judge Roberts argued that the Constitution did not protect workers, voters, women, minorities and the disabled from discrimination. He also argued that the Constitution does not firmly establish the right of privacy for all Americans.

"In all of his memos, writings and briefs, Judge Roberts took the view that the Constitution only protects Americans in the most narrow and technical ways, and does not convey to us fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms. Because of these views, after much deliberation, I have concluded that Judge Roberts is the wrong choice for a lifetime appointment as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court - where he may well be making decisions on the rights of our children and grandchildren for the next 30 to 40 years.

"Judge Roberts is certainly an intelligent man with a record of public service. However, that alone does not qualify him to lead the entire third branch of our government. I believe that his philosophy undermines our most cherished and fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms as Americans, and for that reason, I will be voting no on his nomination next week."

http://stabenow.senate.gov/press/2005/092305RobertsNominationStatement.htm