Gorsuch is a supreme nominee

One of the most important votes a U.S. senator casts is a vote for a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. An Associate Justice for the Supreme Court is a lifetime appointment.

  That’s why a decision on who to vote for, who to stand behind, and who to stand with is so important — not only to me but to our children and grandchildren.

We want a Supreme Court justice who upholds the rule of law and follows the Constitution.

We want a Supreme Court justice who doesn’t legislate from the bench.

  We want a Supreme Court justice with superb academic credentials who is well-prepared to serve the American people on our highest court.

When President Trump announced that he was appointing Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court, the American people knew he was a Supreme pick.

He is a brilliant legal mind who understands the role a judge plays in our justice system: to interpret the law and not legislate from the bench. On the night he was announced, I was thrilled to hear him say, “A judge who likes every outcome he reaches is very likely a bad judge, stretching for results he prefers rather than those the law demands.”

Judge Gorsuch has impeccable legal qualifications demonstrating that he will be the type of justice that every American deserves on our nation’s highest court. He earned his bachelor’s degree Columbia University in 1988. He graduated from Harvard Law School as a Harry Truman Scholar with honors in 1991. He attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar and received his Doctorate in Philosophy in 2004.

  He has clerked for Justice Byron White and Justice Anthony Kennedy of the Supreme Court of the United States. And, in 2006, Judge Gorsuch was nominated by President George Bush to the Tenth Circuit in Denver, Colorado — he was confirmed without any opposition. Some of those Democrats who did not oppose included Harvard Law classmate Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

During his time as a judge on the Tenth Circuit he built a solid reputation as a respected jurist with a distinguished record.  He has a consistent record of defending the Constitution, including respecting the separation of powers, federalism and the Bill of Rights to protect our government from overreach and abuse.

When I had the opportunity to sit down with Judge Gorsuch in my office, we spoke about the role of government and federalism, the Second Amendment, protecting life and upholding our civil liberties.

We spoke of our shared Western values: mine as a native Montanan, his as a native Coloradoan. He understands our way of life and Montana values.  His face lit up as he talked about his love of the outdoors and his passion for fishing.

Neil Gorsuch is the mainstream judge the American people deserve.

I’m excited for our country that we have such a qualified nominee. I look forward to casting my vote this week to confirm him to the highest court in our country.

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Republica Sen. Steve Daines represents the state of Montana in Congress