07.30.18

Senate to Consider Another Impressive Circuit Court Nominee

‘This Stanford Law graduate has served the people of Georgia for six years, most recently as a Justice on the state’s Supreme Court... The understanding of a judge’s role, and the temperament to execute it, is precisely the approach that our constitutional order requires of our judges. I look forward to voting to advance Justice Grant’s nomination later today and urge each of my colleagues to join me.’

WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the Senate’s consideration of Britt Cagle Grant, President Trump’s nominee to serve on the 11th Circuit Court:

“The Senate has a lot to do this week. We’ll finish up the set of appropriations measures we’ve been considering for several days and take four more big steps towards our goal of completing a regular appropriations process and funding the government in a timely and orderly manner. We’ll authorize vital resources for our nation’s armed forces. And we’ll attend to several other priorities as well, including an extension of flood insurance and sending the bipartisan Farm Bill to a conference with the House.

“But first, later today, the Senate will vote to advance the nomination of Britt Cagle Grant, the president’s selection to serve on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. This Stanford Law graduate has served the people of Georgia for six years, most recently as a Justice on the state’s Supreme Court. All eight of her fellow justices had this to say about Justice Grant, in a letter to Chairman Grassley and Senator Feinstein:

“‘She is highly intelligent, [with] a breadth and depth of legal experience...Her first focus is always to get the law right.’ They go on: ‘Justice Grant’s character and integrity is unquestioned. She has an excellent reputation in the legal community,’ and ‘a well-balanced judicial temperament.’ In sum, they write, ‘Justice Grant displays all the qualities of an excellent judge… Our loss would be the Eleventh Circuit’s gain.’

“Justice Grant’s colleagues on the Georgia Supreme Court include appointees of Republican governors and Democratic governors. They’ve seen her work up close. They’ve seen her legal expertise and her commitment to the rule of law. They’ve seen her conviction that -- in her own words -- ‘the role of judges is to interpret the law, rather than make it.’

“And her reputation reaches beyond state lines. In another letter to our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, current and former state solicitors general from across the country testify to her ‘congeniality,’ ‘integrity and work ethic,’ and say that Justice Grant, quote: ‘has treated colleagues, opposing counsel, and the litigants appearing before her with respect.’

“The understanding of a judge’s role, and the temperament to execute it, is precisely the approach that our constitutional order requires of our judges. I look forward to voting to advance Justice Grant’s nomination later today and urge each of my colleagues to join me.”

Related Issues: Nominations, Judicial Nominations