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U.S.
Senator Ken Salazar
Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs
Committees
2300 15th
Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO
80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C.
20510
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Sen. Salazar to Vote Against
Alito Nomination
Washington,
DC – Today, Sen. Ken Salazar announced his opposition to Supreme Court
nominee Samuel Alito. His statement follows:
“I will vote against
the confirmation of Judge Samuel Alito to the United States Supreme
Court. I am convinced, based upon a very careful review of his record,
that Judge Alito will move the Supreme Court outside the mainstream
of American law. Judge Alito’s judicial philosophy will expand Executive
power too far, hurt the checks and balances built into our Constitution
to protect us all, and roll back important civil rights protections
that were achieved in our country through the sacrifices of many.
“My decision to
vote against Judge Alito contrasts sharply with my decision to support
John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States.
“Here is why I conclude
that Judge Alito is the wrong person for this seat on this Court at
this time in our Nation’s history:
- Judge Alito would
place too much power in the hands of the President of the United States,
at the cost of the protective system of checks and balances built
into our Constitution. For example, in 2000 Judge Alito gave a speech
to the Federalist Society that extolled the virtues of the unitary
executive branch. This theory would expand significantly the powers
of the President to control agencies and other government institutions.
It would destroy an important system of checks and balances within
the Executive Branch.
- Judge Alito would
close Nation’s courthouses to the weakest and poorest among us. In
Sheridan v. E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Judge Alito registered the lone
dissent among 13 judges, voting to prevent a woman who had presented
evidence of employment gender discrimination from going to trial.
In PIRG of New Jersey, Judge Alito denied access to the courts for
environmental plaintiffs who had won in the lower court. In Doe v.
Groody, Judge Alito would have upheld the strip search of a 10 year
old girl. In Riley, Judge Alito rejected claims of an African American
defendant, and was later overturned by the entire court, in a case
where the conviction by an all white jury was improper because black
jurors had been impermissibly prevented from jury service.
- Judge Alito would
reverse our progress on the laws that promote diversity in our country.
Justice O’Connor was the deciding vote in the Grutter case, the 2003
decision that affirmed that diversity is a compelling state interest
justifying an admissions process that builds a diverse student body.
Justice Alito is very unlikely to agree with Justice O’Connor on this
issue, imperiling a decision I believe to be vitally important to
the future of our country.
“For these reasons,
I will vote against the confirmation of Judge Alito to replace Justice
Sandra Day O’Connor on the United States Supreme Court.”
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