United States Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch gave a measured response when pressed on the recent attacks by President Joe Biden saying the independence of the high court is "a gift."
On Tuesday, Gorsuch released his book "Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law," in which he makes the case that Americans are burdened with too many laws and regulations. On Wednesday, he spoke to host Megan Kelly on SiriusXM where she asked Gorsuch his views on Biden's recent criticisms of the court.
Last week Biden published his long gestating "reforms" for the Supreme Court via an opinion piece in the Washington Post. Biden suggested the high court implement an ethic's code and term limits for justices following a string of losses to the Democrat's agenda and victories for former President Donald Trump.
Gorsuch told Kelly that he preferred not to "get into specifics" of any proposal "by politicians in an election year."
"We should all recognize what gifts we are given in our Constitution," Gorsuch said to Kelly. "And one of them is the independent judiciary. And why do we care? Why does that exist?" Gorsuch then gave the example of how a "popular person" can rely on the majority opinion on any given day and might "not need a judge or jury."
"But what happens when someone sues you? What happens when the government has you in their crosshairs?" he said.
"I think, then, that you want what James Madison wanted for you and what our founders wanted for you and the men who signed that declaration wanted for you," Gorsuch said making the case for a free-thinking judiciary branch.
"You want someone who is a fiercely independent judge who isn't beholden to politicians and will decide your case fairly under law and you want a jury of your peers to hear that case," he continued adding the process is "a part of our constitutional heritage."
Gorsuch concluded by saying he is "deeply concerned with the state of our public discourse" following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump last month in Butler, Pennsylvania. Gorsuch said the country needs to return to a place of "civility."
"I think one of the things that can kind of help us get there is maybe just learning a little civics again," he told Kelly. "We need to learn civility all over, but we also need to learn how our government works and how we can make change through it."
"They are not teaching civics anymore in our schools. There are only six states that have a full-year civics curriculum in high school," he lamented. "We have college students who can't name the three branches of government, and 60% of Americans apparently would fail the citizenship exam. And that exam is not difficult."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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