Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Qualifications
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with fellow Hoosier and Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She has stellar credentials, a proven record of originalism, and most importantly, she understands the role of a judge is to interpret the law as written and not to legislate from the bench.
I was elected in 2016 with a mandate to ensure that judges like this were put on the federal bench. We saw an expansion of the Republican Senate majority in 2018 with a similar mandate. Judge Barrett weathered a storm during her confirmation hearing for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals with great poise and dignity.
Unfortunately those hearings turned into an attack on her religious faith as opposed to fairly evaluating her legal credentials and her professional credentials and her temperament. But should she receive a fair evaluation, as I believe she will for a seat on the highest court in the land, I think everyone will understand that Judge Amy Coney Barrett is the right person for the job.
Click here or the image below for a video from our meeting.
Outlining My Support for Judge Barrett
Also last week, I reiterated my support for Judge Barrett during a floor speech and during the weekly Senate GOP Stakeout.
In the coming days, Americans will hear a great deal about Judge Barrett, much of it from people who have never met her, who have never worked with her. As a fellow Hoosier, I’ve had the privilege of actually getting to know Judge Barrett and her family, and to understand the breadth of her intellect and the thoughtful reasoning of her work.
My own opinions have been informed by my personal interactions with her and supported by the countless students, clerks, and former colleagues, who despite their varied political beliefs, are united in their admiration for Judge Barrett. They will second what I tell you here: Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s qualifications to fill this seat are beyond question. The character she will demonstrate once in it will be exceptional. Her career is beyond distinguished.
The Democrats aren’t going to make this about her qualifications though. We all need to prepare for that. They want to make this about anything but her qualifications to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Instead, they are going to try and scare Americans, that somehow, she wants to take away their healthcare and jeopardize people with pre-existing conditions. This is a mother of seven children, one of whom has special needs of course Judge Amy Coney Barrett cares about healthcare.
Click here or on the image below to watch my floor speech.
Click here or on the image below to watch my press stakeout remarks.
JUDGES Act to Address Judicial Emergencies
Central and Southern Indiana courts are among the most overworked in the nation. In 2019, the judges in the Southern District of Indiana each had over 1,100 cases, which is almost three times the recommended number.
Courts across the country are overworked and facing a shortage of federal judges. The Committee on Judicial Resources, a nonpartisan judicial group, recommended adding additional judgeships across a wide array of courts, including the Southern District of Indiana. My Judicial Understaffing Delays Getting Emergencies Solved (JUDGES) Act calls for acting on this report and increasing the number of federal district judges in the most overworked regions of the country.
All Americans should be concerned about the judicial emergency we are facing in this country. People are being denied the opportunity to have their day in court due to an overload of cases and a shortage of judges. My legislation will help Americans receive a timely day in court. It's a longstanding issue only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and by civil unrest.
In July, I penned an op-ed about the need for this legislation. Read the op-ed here.
Renaming Indianapolis Post Office After Former Senator Richard Lugar
On Thursday, President Trump signed into law my legislation to rename one of Indiana’s Post Offices after the late Senator Richard Lugar. When Senator Lugar passed away last year, Indiana and the entire country lost a giant. I had the privilege of working on Senator Lugar’s staff, and I had a front row seat to history, watching a statesman at work. In 2017, he stood by me as I took my oath of office in the U.S. Senate, and I will never forget his support through the years. Senator Lugar left an impact on Indiana that will be felt for years to come, and this only reaffirms his legacy will continue to live on.
My Bill to Help Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
In our country, more than 2.7 million children are being raised by grandparents and other relatives, also known as kinship caregivers. These caregivers are often left with few places to turn, and the coronavirus pandemic is only perpetuating their uncertainty and economic hardship. My bipartisan Informing Grandfamilies Act would ensure anyone raising relative children is aware of and has access to all available programs, resources, and supportive services already provided by the government. Click here to learn more.
Bolster Private-Sector Deployment of 5G
Last week, I led a letter with Senator Thune and nearly 20 of my Senate colleagues to President Trump applauding the administration’s successful efforts to empower the private sector to build multiple 5G networks.
Nationalizing 5G and experimenting with untested models for 5G deployment is not the way the United States will win the 5G race. While we recognize the need for secure communications networks for our military, we are concerned that such a proposal threatens our national security. When bad actors only need to penetrate one network, they have a greater likelihood of disrupting the United States’ communications services.
Legislation to Fight Antimicrobial Resistance
If there’s anything we’ve learned in 2020, it’s that America must take every reasonable and responsible measure to prevent future public health crises.
Antimicrobial resistance has become a growing crisis in recent years. Market failures have resulted in a lack of needed research and development in this field which is a threat to public health. That’s why I am proud to be working with Senator Bennet to introduce the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act to incentivize development of new antibiotics. At the same time, the PASTEUR Act will focus on educating health care providers on how to avoid overuse or misuse of these life-saving medications in order to slow the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
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