WASHINGTON – Fifty-five members of the Iowa House of Representatives wrote to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein endorsing Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States.
In their letter, the legislators wrote that “Americans deserve a Supreme Court Justice who is fair and has a deep respect for the rule of law. Most importantly, they deserve someone who interprets our Constitution the way it is written, rather than performing mental gymnastics to reach a pre-determined outcome based on personal preference. Judge Kavanaugh exhibits these important qualities which makes him clearly qualified to serve.”
Grassley released the following statement regarding the letter.
“I want to thank these Iowa legislators for their letter in support of Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination. I share their views that Judge Kavanaugh’s educational, professional and personal achievements are unmatched and that he is highly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. This letter of support, along with the dozens of others my committee has received over the past several weeks, is a testament to the quality and substance of Judge Kavanaugh’s character and professional record. The American people would be greatly served from having a justice of his caliber on the bench.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Grassley, is in the process of reviewing documents related to Judge Kavanaugh’s public service, including his 307 judicial opinions written during his tenure on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Additionally, the committee has received more than 430,000 pages of executive branch material related to Judge Kavanaugh. The previous high water mark for similar material during consideration of Supreme Court nominees was roughly 180,000 pages related to Justice Neil Gorsuch.
The text of the letter is available here and below.
August 20, 2018
The Honorable Charles Grassley
Chairman
United States Senate Judiciary Committee
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
Ranking Member
United States Judiciary Committee
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senators Grassley and Feinstein:
As members of the Iowa House of Representatives, we would encourage all members of the United States Senate to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh in a respectful and efficient manner.
Senators Grassley and Ernst know better than most how important it is for elected officials to listen to the people they represent. That’s why we have spent the past several months knocking on doors to talk with Iowans. What we consistently hear is that they have grown tired of the obstructionism that they constantly see from Washington DC. Iowans expect Congress to do its work and address the priorities of the people that elected them.
You can begin restoring the trust of these folks by quickly confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh as our next Justice to the Supreme Court.
Americans deserve a Supreme Court Justice who is fair and has a deep respect for the rule of law. Most importantly, they deserve someone who interprets our Constitution the way it is written, rather than performing mental gymnastics to reach a pre-determined outcome based on personal preference. Judge Kavanaugh exhibits these important qualities which makes him clearly qualified to serve.
Judge Kavanaugh’s educational, professional, and personal achievements are unmatched. He earned his B.A. from Yale College, graduating with honors, and went on to earn his law degree from Yale Law School. Following graduation, he clerked for several judges, most notably Justice Anthony Kennedy, and held a number of legal roles in both the public and private sectors. He was appointed to the United State Court of Appeals in 2006.
Judge Kavanaugh is also widely respected in the judicial community and by members of both political parties. When first nominated to the Court of Appeals, he was confirmed with bipartisan support and his writings have been cited by numerous judges and other legal professionals.
While some may not agree with every position he has taken during his long legal career, there is near universal agreement that he is highly qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.
Americans are tired of gridlock. Show your constituents that you are capable of doing what they sent you to Washington to do, and quickly confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh as our next Justice on the Supreme Court.
Respectfully,
Representative Linda Upmeyer
Speaker of the House
Representative Chris Hagenow
Majority Leader
Representative Rob Bacon
Representative Chip Baltimore
Representative Clel Baudler
Representative Terry Baxter
Representative Michael Bergan
Representative Brian Best
Representative Jane Bloomingdale
Representative Jacob Bossmann
Representative Gary Carlson
Representative Dave Deyoe
Representative Cecil Dolecheck
Representative Dean Fisher
Representative Joel Fry
Representative Tedd Gassmann
Representative Pat Grassley
Representative Stan Gustafson
Representative Kristi Hager
Representative Mary Ann Hanusa
Representative Greg Heartsill
Representative Dave Heaton
Representative Lee Hein
Representative Jake Highfill
Representative Ashley Hinson
Representative Steve Holt
Representative Chuck Holz
Representative Dan Huseman
Representative Jon Jacobsen
Representative Megan Jones
Representative Bobby Kaufmann
Representative David Kerr
Representative Jarad Klein
Representative Kevin Koester
Representative John Landon
Representative Shannon Lundgren
Representative Dave Maxwell
Representative Andy McKean
Representative Gary Mohr
Representative Norlin Mommsen
Representative Tom Moore
Representative Ross Paustian
Representative Dawn Pettengill
Representative Walt Rogers
Representative Sandy Salmon
Representative Mike Sexton
Representative Larry Sheets R
epresentative David Sieck
Representative Rob Taylor
Representative Guy Vander Linden
Representative Ralph Watts
Representative Matt Windschitl
Representative John Wills
Representative Gary Worthan
Representative Louie Zumbach
cc: President Donald Trump
Vice President Mike Pence
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