Colorado politicians, organizations react to Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination to US Supreme Court

DENVER – Politicians and political organizations reacted swiftly Tuesday evening to President Donald Trump’s nomination of Colorado judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.

If confirmed, Gorsuch would be the first Colorado Supreme Court justice since Byron White was picked by John F. Kennedy in 1962.

A roundup of reactions from Colorado’s members of Congress and other organizations:

Colorado’s House Republican delegation (Reps. Ken Buck, Scott Tipton, Mike Coffman, Doug Lamborn):

“The nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court is welcome news. Judge Gorsuch’s record in the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit shows that he will defend the original intent of our Founding Fathers and preserve the fundamental rights of Americans protected by the Constitution. It will be great to see a Coloradan serve on the country’s highest court, and considering he was confirmed for his current position by voice vote in the U.S. Senate in 2006, we encourage our Colorado colleagues in the U.S. Senate to support Judge Gorsuch’s swift confirmation.”

Rep. Ken Buck, R-CO:

“I commend the President’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court to fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of Justice Antonin Scalia. I’m confident Judge Gorsuch will succeed in the Supreme Court because he holds sound judicial interpretation in such high regard. As a Coloradan, I know Mr. Gorsuch will take his common sense values with him to the nation’s highest court.”

Sen. Cory Gardner, R-CO:

“Judge Gorsuch is one of our country’s brightest legal minds with significant experience as a federal judge and a private litigator. A former Supreme Court clerk for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy, Judge Gorsuch has learned from some of the most exceptional, disciplined, and faithful interpreters of the law. He is an ardent defender of the Constitution and he has the appropriate temperament to serve on the nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch also adds to the court’s Western perspective, with his understanding of uniquely Western issues like water and public lands issues. I’m enthusiastic about the native Coloradan’s nomination and will work to ensure that his confirmation process is fair, thorough, and expedient.”

Rep. Diana DeGette, D-CO:

“President Trump has repeatedly promised that his nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court would be someone who supports overturning Roe v. Wade. We have no reason to believe he has changed his mind. That’s what makes this nomination especially troubling for women all across the country. Judge Gorsuch needs to clarify his position on women’s right to access and determine their own reproductive health care at a time when seven in 10 Americans support a woman’s constitutionally-protected right to choose. Women have a lot to lose if a nominee opposed to Roe makes it to the highest court in the land. That’s why members of the Senate Judiciary Committee should closely question this nominee in the weeks and months ahead. The American people deserve to know where he stands.”

Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-CO:

“While I have not had a chance to review Judge Neil Gorsuch’s record, I know Neil to be an honest and intelligent Coloradan. However, I will remain vigilant against any Supreme Court decision that turns back the clock on issues of liberty, equality and opportunity for all Americans.”

University of Colorado administrators, where Gorsuch has taught since 2008:

“We congratulate Judge Gorsuch on his nomination,” said Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “His time spent teaching, advising and mentoring our students has been invaluable to our campus. He has embodied our goals at CU Boulder for ensuring student success and developing tomorrow’s leaders.”

“As a distinguished jurist, Judge Gorsuch has given his time, energy and talents to Colorado Law over the last eight years, and our students and alumni are fortunate that he has taught in our classrooms,” said Dean S. James Anaya. “He is an extremely accomplished example of our visiting faculty, who bring diverse perspectives to our school and model rigorous legal thinking for our students.”

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia H. Coffman:

“Judge Neil Gorsuch is an extremely qualified and well-respected U.S. Supreme Court nominee. He not only has a brilliant legal mind, but has both the experience and the temperament needed to serve on our nation’s highest court. Judge Gorsuch’s deep understanding and reverence of the law will serve him and the American people well.”

Colorado Republican Party:

“Tonight, President Trump fulfilled one of his biggest campaign promises to the American people by selecting federal appeals court Judge Neil M. Gorsuch, a mainstream conservative to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” said Colorado Republican Party State Chairman Steve House.  “I am confident Neil Gorsuch will faithfully uphold the Constitution, protect our individual rights, and preserve the idea of limited government.”

ProgressNow Colorado:

“Neil Gorsuch is just the latest in a series of horrible choices by Donald Trump,” said ProgressNow Colorado executive director Ian Silverii. “Gorsuch’s fringe views on health care and contraception make him an enemy of Colorado women. On the Supreme Court, Gorsuch would be a vote to roll back women’s rights, environmental protections, and hard-won protections against discrimination in the workplace. Gorsuch has even been endorsed by the founder of the National Organization for Marriage, an anti-LGBT extremist group. Gorsuch may hail from Colorado, but his record stands in opposition to Colorado values.”

“The simple fact is that this Supreme Court appointment was stolen from President Obama last year in a shameful act of Republican treachery,” said Silverii. “No Democrat should in any way cooperate with or otherwise enable Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, including Colorado Democrats. To do so would only hand Trump another undeserved victory.”

NARAL Pro-Choice America:

“With Judge Neil Gorsuch, the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to women and our lives. Gorsuch represents an existential threat to legal abortion in the United States and must never wear the robes of a Supreme Court justice.

“With a clear track record of supporting an agenda that undermines abortion access and endangers women, there is no doubt that Gorsuch is a direct threat to Roe v. Wade and the promise it holds for women’s equality. The fact that the court has repeatedly reaffirmed Roe over the past four decades would no longer matter, just as facts often don’t seem to matter to President Trump. Confirming Gorsuch to a lifetime on the Supreme Court would make good on Trump’s repeated promises to use his appointments to overturn Roe v. Wade and punish women.

“NARAL and our 1.2 million member-activists call on the Senate to reject Trump’s nominee using any and all available means, including the filibuster.”