Monday night, in a nationwide address, President Donald Trump announced his nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as an associate justice. Judge Kavanaugh is currently a federal appellate court judge in the D.C. Circuit. He would replace the retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Congressman Jodey Arrington (R- Lubbock) released the following statement voicing his support for Kavanaugh's nomination, "In order for our democracy to work, our judges must interpret the Constitution - not according to their personal or political preferences - but as it was intended by our Founders when they wrote it. As my favorite Justice, the late Antonin Scalia was fond of saying, the Court's job is to apply the Constitution, not write it. President Trump has once again fulfilled a central campaign promise to appoint such jurists by nominating Brett Kavanaugh.

“I had the pleasure of working with Judge Kavanaugh and his wife, Ashley, a fellow West Texan, in the White House. Knowing Brett’s character and qualifications, I believe he is an outstanding choice whose absolute loyalty will be to the Constitution and Rule of Law. For the President to nominate a qualified constitutionalist who had the good judgment to marry a West Texan - that’s about as good as it gets for me," said Congressman Arrington.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R- Texas) said, "Judge Kavanaugh is an exceptionally-qualified jurist who will be a fair and impartial arbiter of the law and will not legislate from the bench. Throughout his tenure, Judge Kavanaugh has served with a high moral standard and demonstrated a clear commitment to faithfully interpreting the Constitution.

“As the Senate begins what will be a thorough review of his record, it’s disappointing that some Democrats already rejected this nomination before it was even made. I hope Democrats will consider Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination on the merits, and I look forward to meeting with him soon in advance of a hearing.”

Trump Announces His Nominee To Succeed Anthony Kennedy On U.S. Supreme Court
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Former presidential candidate, and current Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (I) spoke out against the nomination, "Let us be clear: President Trump’s  Supreme Court  nominee Brett Kavanaugh will be a rubber-stamp for an extreme, right-wing agenda pushed by corporations and billionaires. The coming Senate debate over the replacement of retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is about the future of Roe v. Wade, campaign finance reform, voting rights, workers' rights, health care, climate change, environmental protection and gun safety.

"Brett Kavanaugh, contrary to 200 years of Supreme Court precedent, believes a president 'may decline to enforce a statute . . . when the president deems the statute unconstitutional.' He ruled against a migrant teenager seeking to be released from custody in order to obtain an abortion. He believes a president can only be indicted after he leaves office and should not be subjected to civil suits while in office. He ruled the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was unconstitutional. And he would not uphold the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.

"I do not believe a person with those views should be given a lifetime seat on the Supreme Court. We must mobilize the American people to defeat Trump’s right-wing, reactionary nominee," said Senator Sanders.

Finally, late Monday night, Senator Ted Cruz (R- Texas) released his own statement after attending the president's speech at the White House.  “By any measure, Judge Kavanaugh is one of the most respected federal judges in the country and I look forward to supporting his nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States," said Senator Cruz. "For over a decade, Judge Kavanaugh has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, often referred to as the second highest court in the land. He has over 300 published opinions, with a strong record of defending the Second Amendment, safeguarding the separation of powers, reining in the unchecked power of federal agencies, and preserving our precious religious liberties.

“Senate Democrats, sadly, will try to demagogue this nomination, but their efforts will not be successful. I am confident that the Senate will take up his nomination quickly, and I fully expect that he will be confirmed before the first Monday in October, the beginning of the Supreme Court’s Term. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I look forward to his confirmation hearing, where Judge Kavanaugh will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the American people that he will uphold the rule of law and interpret the Constitution according to its original meaning," said Senator Cruz.

Judge Kavanaugh will begin meeting with Senators on Capitol Hill on Tuesday in advance of his confirmation hearing.

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