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President Bush's Statement on Samuel
Alito's Nomination
PRESIDENT BUSH: Good morning. I'm pleased to announce my nomination
of Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr., as Associate Justice of the Supreme
Court of the United States. Judge Alito is one of the most accomplished
and respected judges in America, and his long career in public
service has given him an extraordinary breadth of experience.
As a Justice Department official, federal prosecutor and judge
on the United States Court of Appeals, Sam Alito has shown a mastery
of the law, a deep commitment of justice, and a -- and he is a
man of enormous character. He's scholarly, fair-minded and principled,
and these qualities will serve our nation well on the highest
court of the land.
Judge Alito showed great promise from the beginning in studies
at Princeton and Yale Law School; as editor of the Yale Law Journal;
as a clerk for a federal court of appeals judge. He served in
the Army Reserves and was honorably discharged as a captain. Early
in his career, Sam Alito worked as a federal prosecutor and handled
criminal and civil matters for the United States. As assistant
to the solicitor general, he argued 12 cases before the Supreme
Court, and has argued dozens of others before the federal courts
of appeals.
He served in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel
providing constitutional advice for the President and the executive
branch. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan named him the United
States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, the top prosecutor
in one of the nation's largest federal districts, and he was confirmed
by unanimous consent by the Senate. He moved aggressively against
white-collar and environmental crimes, and drug trafficking, and
organized crime, and violation of civil rights.
In his role, Sam Alito showed a passionate commitment to the
rule of law, and he gained a reputation for being both tough and
fair. In 1990, President Bush nominated Sam Alito, at the age
of 39, for the United States Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit.
Judge Alito's nomination received bipartisan support and he was
again confirmed by unanimous consent by the United States Senate.
Judge Alito has served with distinction on that court for 15 years
and now has more prior judicial experience than any Supreme Court
nominee in more than 70 years.
Judge Alito's reputation has only grown over the span of his
service. He has participated in thousands of appeals and authored
hundreds of opinions. This record reveals a thoughtful judge who
considers the legal matter -- merits carefully and applies the
law in a principled fashion. He has a deep understanding of the
proper role of judges in our society. He understands that judges
are to interpret the laws, not to impose their preferences or
priorities on the people.
In the performance of his duties, Judge Alito has gained the
respect of his colleagues and attorneys for his brilliance and
decency. He's won admirers across the political spectrum. I'm
confident that the United States Senate will be impressed by Judge
Alito's distinguished record, his measured judicial temperament,
and his tremendous personal integrity. And I urge the Senate to
act promptly on this important nomination so that an up or down
vote is held before the end of this year.
Today, Judge Alito is joined by his wife, Martha, who was a law
librarian when he first met her. Sam and I both know you can't
go wrong marrying a librarian. Sam and Martha's two children,
Phil and Laura, are also with us, and I know how proud you are
of your dad today. I'm sure, as well, that Judge Alito is thinking
of his mom, Rose, who will be 91 in December. And I know he's
thinking about his late father. Samuel Alito, Sr., came to this
country as an immigrant child from Italy in 1914, and his fine
family has realized the great promise of our country.
Judge, thanks for agreeing to serve, and congratulations on your
nomination.
JUDGE ALITO: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you very much, Mr.
President. I am deeply honored to be nominated to serve on the
Supreme Court, and I am very grateful for the confidence that
you have shown in me.
The Supreme Court is an institution that I have long held in
reverence. During my 29 years as a public servant, I've had the
opportunity to view the Supreme Court from a variety of perspectives
-- as an attorney in the Solicitor General's Office, arguing and
briefing cases before the Supreme Court, as a federal prosecutor,
and most recently for the last 15 years as a judge of the Court
of Appeals. During all of that time, my appreciation of the vital
role that the Supreme Court plays in our constitutional system
has greatly deepened.
I argued my first case before the Supreme Court in 1982, and
I still vividly recall that day. I remember the sense of awe that
I felt when I stepped up to the lectern. And I also remember the
relief that I felt when Justice O'Connor -- sensing, I think,
that I was a rookie -- made sure that the first question that
I was asked was a kind one. I was grateful to her on that happy
occasion, and I am particularly honored to be nominated for her
seat.
My most recent visit to the Supreme Court building was on a
very different and a very sad occasion: It was on the occasion
of the funeral of Chief Justice William Rehnquist. And as I approached
the Supreme Court building with a group of other federal judges,
I was struck by the same sense of awe that I had felt back in
1982, not because of the imposing and beautiful building in which
the Supreme Court is housed, but because of what the building,
and, more importantly, the institutions stand for -- our dedication
as a free and open society to liberty and opportunity, and, as
it says above the entrance to the Supreme Court, "equal justice
under law."
Every time that I have entered the courtroom during the past
15 years, I have been mindful of the solemn responsibility that
goes with service as a federal judge. Federal judges have the
duty to interpret the Constitution and the laws faithfully and
fairly, to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans,
and to do these things with care and with restraint, always keeping
in mind the limited role that the courts play in our constitutional
system. And I pledge that if confirmed I will do everything within
my power to fulfill that responsibility.
I owe a great deal to many people who have taught me over the
years about the law and about judging, to judges before whom I
have appeared, and to colleagues who have shown me with their
examples what it means to be a fair and conscientious and temperate
judge.
I also owe a great deal, of course, to the members of my family.
I wish that my father had lived to see this day. He was an extraordinary
man who came to the United States as a young child, and overcame
many difficulties and made many sacrifices so that my sister and
I would have opportunities that he did not enjoy.
As the President mentioned, my mother will be celebrating her
91st birthday next month. She was a pioneering and very dedicated
public school teacher who inspired my sister and me with a love
of learning. My wife, Martha, has been a constant source of love
and support for the past 20 years. My children, Philip and Laura,
are the pride of my life and they have made sure that being a
judge has never gone to my head -- they do that very well on a,
pretty much, daily basis. And my sister, Rosemary, has always
been a great friend and an inspiration as a great lawyer, and
as a strong and independent person.
I look forward to working with the Senate in the confirmation
process. Mr. President, thank you, once again, for the confidence
that you've shown in me and for honoring me with this nomination.
Source: The White House
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