By Marsha Blackburn
July 5, 2018
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement last week. It had been anticipated, but no one was certain it would happen. Now, the speculation has begun: Who will next fill the seat of a justice, and what type of justice will they be?
Tennesseans are very clear about their expectation of the next justice. They want to see a judge, who shows respect for both the Constitution and the rule of law. Tennesseans, also, realize that one justice can make the difference as this week’s critical rulings have prevailed by slim margins.
Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court rightly chose to uphold President Trump’s decision to keep our country safe and protect the well being of Americans. Then, the Court protected pro-life pregnancy centers, ruling that these centers cannot be forced to promote abortion as a health care option and that states cannot force government workers to pay the costs of hammering out union contracts — a huge win for an individual’s right to work.
It was quite remarkable for the court to render these decisions. In a two day window, they moved to stand with the President’s decision to protect the American people, protect religious freedom, and advance the individual worker’s right to work. Each of these decisions could have gone the other way if different justices held a seat on the court. The victories were narrow.
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