State Officials Urge The Senate To Confirm Judge Barrett

Governors: ‘Judge Barrett Carries A Longstanding And Well-Respected Reputation As A Legal Scholar, Professor, Practitioner, And Jurist,’ ‘As Elected Leaders Of Our States, We Support A Judicial Philosophy Like Judge Barrett’s That Respects The Roles Of Coequal Branches Of Government’

24 GOVERNORS: “As governors, we strongly support President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States, and we urge the Senate to confirm her appointment as an Associate Justice…. Judge Barrett carries a longstanding and well-respected reputation as a legal scholar, professor, practitioner, and jurist. Her scholarship focused on stare decisis, appellate procedure, canons of construction, and judicial authority. She has a proven record of safeguarding the interpretation of the law from partisan politics and defending individual rights from government overreach.” (24 Governors, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Graham, Schumer, and Feinstein, 10/08/2020)

• “As elected leaders of our states, we support a judicial philosophy like Judge Barrett’s that respects the roles of coequal branches of government and protects powers reserved to the states. Most importantly, Americans can trust Judge Barrett, because she will apply the text of the Constitution and statutes as written…. We urge the Senate to fulfill its constitutional advice and consent duty and confirm Judge Barrett’s appointment to the Supreme Court.” (24 Governors, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Graham, Schumer, and Feinstein, 10/08/2020)

Letter signed by the governors of: Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming

Lt. Governors: ‘Judge Barrett’s Long Record Of Upholding The Constitution And Defending The Rule Of Law Make Her An Exceedingly Qualified Candidate To Serve On Our Nation’s Highest Court’

21 LIEUTENANT GOVERNORS: “As lieutenant governors, we applaud President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States and strongly encourage the United States Senate to swiftly confirm her appointment. … [W]e agree that Judge Barrett’s long record of upholding the Constitution and defending the rule of law make her an exceedingly qualified candidate to serve on our nation’s highest court.” (21 Lt. Governors, Letter to Sens. McConnell and Schumer, 10/05/2010)

• “Judge Barrett is currently serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, where she has demonstrated a steadfast dedication to protecting the rights of Americans and never legislating from the bench…. Judge Barrett clerked for D.C. Circuit Court Judge Laurence Silberman and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and worked for more than fifteen years in academia, shaping future generations of legal minds. Judge Barrett’s extensive experience as a professor and litigator, her contributions in academia, and her excellent judicial record make her a superb nominee.” (21 Lt. Governors, Letter to Sens. McConnell and Schumer, 10/05/2010)

Letter signed by the lieutenant governors of: Iowa, Florida, Oklahoma, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah

State Attorneys General: Judge Barrett ‘Will Work To Safeguard The Constitutional Framework Our Founding Fathers Intended,’ ‘We Are Confident That The Senate Will Need Little Time To Conclude That Judge Barrett Will Make An Excellent Associate Justice’

22 STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL: “We, the undersigned Attorneys General of our States, write to urge the Senate to promptly hold a hearing on and confirm the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States. Judge Barrett is a distinguished legal scholar and an exceptional appellate judge with a track record of interpreting the Constitution according to its text and original public meaning. As we are sure your review of her exemplary record will reveal, she has the qualifications, experience, and judicial philosophy to be an outstanding Associate Justice.” (22 State Attorneys General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, and Feinstein, 9/30/2020)

• “We are confident that the Senate will need little time to conclude that Judge Barrett will make an excellent Associate Justice…. As impressive as her background is Judge Barrett’s unwavering commitment to a judicial philosophy that prioritizes restraint, humility, and respect for the rule of law. Speaking during her nomination to the Seventh Circuit, Judge Barrett emphasized that she has ‘rejected throughout my entire career the proposition that the end justifies the means or that a judge should decide cases based on a desire to reach a certain outcome.’ In other words, it is not the role of judges to create law or policy, or to ‘impose [their] own personal convictions upon the law.’” (22 State Attorneys General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, and Feinstein, 9/30/2020)

• “As the chief legal officers for our States, we have an obligation to our citizens to ensure that the federal government respects the principles of federalism and separation of powers embodied in the United States Constitution. As guardians of the Constitution, Supreme Court Justices bear a special responsibility to prevent the other branches of the federal government from encroaching on individual liberties and the States’ power to provide for the health, education, and welfare of their people. From Judge Barrett’s stated views of the law and her opinions from the bench, we are confident that she understands this responsibility and will work to safeguard the constitutional framework our Founding Fathers intended. Indeed, Judge Barrett’s judicial opinions display a robust commitment to interpreting the Constitution based on its original meaning.” (22 State Attorneys General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, and Feinstein, 9/30/2020)         

Letter signed by the attorneys general of: Louisiana, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia

State Solicitors General: ‘Judge Barrett Promises To Be One Of The Most Effective, Respected, And Inspiring Supreme Court Justices Ever,’ ‘As Advocates We Look Forward To The Challenge And Satisfaction Of Arguing Before Her As An Associate Justice’

23 CURRENT AND FORMER STATE SOLICITORS GENERAL: “As frequent oral advocates before the Supreme Court who defend the interests of sovereign States, we have a particular stake in encouraging the confirmation of Justices who approach both the law and the judicial process with a sound judicial philosophy, scholarly mien, and even temperament. With her commitment to textualism and originalism, stellar academic and teaching background, and courtroom judicial experience, Judge Barrett promises to be one of the most effective, respected, and inspiring Supreme Court Justices ever.” (23 Current and Former State Solicitors General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, Feinstein, Young, and Braun, 10/02/2020)

• “Win or lose, advocates who come before her know that she is taking their arguments seriously, searching in good faith for the proper legal rule, and giving their clients a fair shake. We are confident Judge Barrett will carry this model judicial temperament with her to the Supreme Court, and as advocates we look forward to the challenge and satisfaction of arguing before her as an Associate Justice…. In Judge Barrett, we have a worthy successor to both of these legal titans [Justices Scalia and Ginsburg]: a committed, thoughtful originalist who will be an inspiration to women and men alike, and a brilliant jurist who will be considerate and fair to all who come before the Court.” (23 Current and Former State Solicitors General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, Feinstein, Young, and Braun, 10/02/2020)

• “Moreover, Judge Barrett’s experience as a law school professor also supports her confirmation. Many of us teach law school classes and know firsthand how critical it is for judges to write clearly and logically if we are to pass our country’s hallowed legal traditions on to our students…. Judge Barrett has excelled as a classroom teacher and three times has received the Distinguished Teaching Award, an honor bestowed by Notre Dame Law School students. She also seeks to mentor young women, having served on the University of Notre Dame’s Committee on Women Faculty and Students and as an adviser to the Notre Dame Law School Women’s Legal forum. We are confident that, as with Justices Scalia and Ginsburg, Judge Barrett values the critical role judges play in sound legal education and will draw upon her tenure as a law professor to write opinions that educate future generations of lawyers.” (23 Current and Former State Solicitors General, Letter to Sens. McConnell, Schumer, Graham, Feinstein, Young, and Braun, 10/02/2020)