Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 11 april 2017
Gorsuch sworn into Supreme Court, restores conservative tilt

VIVIAN SALAMA he said.
SAM HANANEL Gorsuch joins the court that
Associated Press is often the final arbiter for
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jus- presidential policy.
tice Neil Gorsuch took his Speaking ahead of Gor-
place in history Monday such at the ceremo-
as the newest addition on ny, Trump said that “our
the bench of the Supreme country is counting on you
Court, restoring a narrow to be wise, impartial and
conservative majority and fair, to serve under our
marking a much-needed laws, not over them, and to
political victory for Presi- safeguard the right of the
dent Donald Trump. people to govern their own
Gorsuch was sworn in dur- affairs,” hinting at his own
ing a sun-soaked cere- friction with the judiciary.
mony in the Rose Garden, Gorsuch’s confirmation
nearly 14 months after the was a badly needed boost
seat was left vacant with for an administration rid-
the sudden death of Jus- dled with controversy and
tice Antonin Scalia. The misstep. Trump failed to
oath was administered dur- get enough Republicans
ing the White House cer- on board to support his
emony by Justice Anthony plan to repeal and replace
Kennedy, whom Gorsuch President Barack Obama’s
once served as a law clerk. signature health care bill.
A smiling Trump stood be- President Donald Trump watches as Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy administers the ju- His efforts to build a physi-
hind his nominee. dicial oath to Judge Neil Gorsuch during a re-enactment in the Rose Garden of the White House, cal border wall with Mexico
Monday, April 10, 2017, in Washington. Gorsuch’s wife Marie Louse hold a bible art center.
It was the second of two (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) remain uncertain and his
oaths — the first was con- attempts to ban certain
ducted privately in the Jus- won’t ever forget that the ence of family and ad- “I will do all my powers per- travelers from entering the
tices’ Conference Room by seat I inherit today is that ministration staffers, as well mit to be a faithful servant U.S. because they pose a
Chief Justice John Roberts. of a very, very great man,” as all the sitting Supreme of the Constitution and security threat have been
“To the Scalia family, I Gorsuch said to the audi- Court justices. laws of this great nation,” blocked by the courts.
Trump was lighthearted
about his latest win, saying
that Gorsuch’s successful
nomination came during
his first 100 days in office
and added: “You think
that’s easy?”
Trump said Americans
would see in Gorsuch “a
man who is deeply faithful
to the Constitution of the
United States” and pre-
dicted greatness for the
49-year-old former appeals
court judge from Colorado.
Gorsuch said he was hum-
bled by his ascendance
to the nation’s high court
and thanked his former law
clerks, saying of his former
law clerks, “your names
are etched in my heart for-
ever.”
Scalia had anchored
the court’s conservative
wing for nearly three de-
cades before he died un-
expectedly in February
2016. In nominating Gor-
such, Trump said he fulfilled
a campaign pledge to
pick someone in the mold
of Scalia.
Gorsuch is the youngest
nominee since Clarence
Thomas, who was 43 when
confirmed in 1991.
His 66-day confirmation
process was swift, but bit-
terly divisive.q