ACLJ's Position on Judicial Nominees - 2004
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ACLJ's Position The ACLJ stands firmly behind President Bush's nominees for federal judgeships. The appointment of judges who will interpret the law, rather than legislate policy, is certainly one of the most important responsibilities given to the President under our Constitution. President Bush is committed to nominating men and women who "clearly understand the role of a judge is to interpret the law, not to legislate from the bench. To paraphrase James Madison, the courts exist to exercise not the will of men, but the judgment of the law. My judicial nominees will know the difference." Many of the ills that plague our society have resulted from judicial rulings that reflect the personal political agenda of liberal judges, instead of honest, careful interpretations of the Constitution. There are currently over 90 vacancies in the federal judiciary. In some circuits, such as the Sixth Circuit, the situation is especially critical. There are simply not enough judges to handle the court's workload. In his Annual Report to Congress, Chief Justice Rehnquist urged the Senate to confirm more of President Bush's nominees: Senators "ought to act with reasonable promptness to vote each nominee up or down." Yet, Democratic leaders in the Senate, including the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have announced their intent to stonewall confirmation of Bush's judicial nominees if those nominees do not adhere to left-wing pro-abortion ideology. Groups such as the National Abortion Rights Action League, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State have been very active in opposing President Bush's nominees. The ACLJ is doing all that it can do to support President Bush's nominees. |