Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said during the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court nomination hearing on Tuesday that if the country were to return to “an era of civility,” we would return to the “foundational, structural principles within our Constitution.”
Sen. Lee started his opening statement during Supreme Court justice nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing by stating that the fact that there remains so much “angst” over a single Supreme Court justice nominee proves the need for a more civil national conversation and a return to the Constitution.
“The fact there is so much angst over a single nominee, a single judicial nominee, it tells you everything you need to know,” Lee remarked, continuing:
It also tells you more than anything else you could need to know about the need to restore a discussion of civics in this country, to restore a discussion about federalism and separation of powers, about where power is concentrated and where it shouldn’t be and what the role of each branch of the federal government is and is not. Many of the comments, many of the outbursts we had today suggest we need to return to some of those fundamental principles, and I don’t care whether you’re a liberal Democrat or conservative Republican or something in between. These principles apply. They are principles to which we have sworn an oath and principles, I think, we would do well to restore and focus on once again. If we were to return to an era of civility, we will return to that era on the basis of those foundational, structural principles within our Constitution.
Lee contended, in contrast to some senators who only focus on outcomes, Senate Judiciary Committee members should ask questions about the nominee’s judgment and his view of the federal judiciary.
Sen. Lee was one of the potential Supreme Court nominees before President Donald Trump announced Kavanaugh as his choice in July.
“I started watching Supreme Court arguments for fun when I was ten years old. So if somebody asked me if I would consider that, I would not say no,” Lee told reporters in June.
At Tuesday’s hearing, Lee said to Kavanaugh:
This process, in my opinion, should be about your qualifications, about your character, and, perhaps most importantly, about your approach to judging, your own view about the role of the federal judiciary. It should not be about results in a select number of cases. Now, you’re obviously exceptionally well qualified. Even your staunchest critics would not claim otherwise.
“Your academic pedigree, your experiences, your 12 years of experience sitting on what many refer to as the second-highest court in the land, the U.S. court of appeals for the D.C. circuit,” the Utah senator added.
“There’s a better way for the Senate to approach its work. This process should be about a jurist’s qualifications, character, and approach to judging. It should not be about results in a select number of cases,” Lee tweeted on Tuesday:
There’s a better way for the #Senate to approach its work. This process should be about a jurist’s qualifications, character, and approach to judging. It should not be about results in a select number of cases.
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) September 4, 2018
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