Justice Delayed is Justice Denied: Senators, Please Continue to Confirm Judges

One of Focus on the Family’s top public policy priorities for the Trump Administration has been appointing top-notch judges who interpret the Constitution and our laws as written and originally understood.

That’s because our federal courts have been filled with judicial activists who rewrite the laws and Constitution to reflect their own personal preferences. It’s been because of these activist judges that we have legalized abortion, legalized same-sex marriage – and some lower courts are even reinventing the definition of “sex” in discrimination laws to include biological men who identify as women, and vive versa.

But writing laws isn’t the role of a judge.

Rather, it’s a legislative function that belongs to our elected representatives in Congress, who are accountable to voters at every election – not to unaccountable judges given lifetime appointments.

That’s why Focus on the Family has been pleased to see that, so far, President Trump has kept his promise to nominate judges in the mold of the late Justice Antonin Scalia. For example, the appointment of Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court seems to be an outstanding choice.

In addition to Justice Gorsuch, the President has also nominated outstanding candidates to the extremely important U.S. Courts of Appeals around the country, including a recent list that features several names of several prominent judicial conservatives such as Judge Allison Eid (10^th Circuit), Kyle Duncan (5^th Circuit) and  Justice Don Willett (5^th Circuit) – just to name a few.

But so far, only seven of the 50 judges and lawyers President Trump has nominated have been confirmed to date. Currently there are approximately 150 vacancies on the U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts, where the bulk of the nation’s federal issues are litigated.

Timely justice depends on adequately staffing the nation’s federal courts. Right now, our courts are looking at legal controversies concerning religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the rights of pre-born children. These are cases that will not only impact the parties involved, but also the larger culture.

That’s why I hope the Senate will be diligent in moving existing and future nominations forward. Swift action by the U.S. Senate on judicial confirmations has always been necessary, but especially so now when fundamental constitutional rights hang in the balance.

Because like the old saying goes, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Topics: Current Events Tags: news, policy, religious liberty October 13, 2017 by Jim Daly with Paul Batura