On the recordFebruary 2, 2017
I want to speak for a couple of minutes about the Supreme Court. A year ago, we lost one of the greatest legal minds to ever serve on the Nation's highest Court. For nearly three decades, Justice Antonin Scalia fought for individual liberty and defended the integrity of the Constitution. No Justice in recent memory has so fundamentally influenced the trajectory of the Supreme Court. From his landmark decision that protected our Second Amendment right to bear arms to his staunch defense of limited government and enumerated powers, Justice Scalia stood as a bulwark against any erosion of our constitutional rights by an activist judiciary. He did this with his unshakable commitment to an originalist interpretation of the Constitution. Through this lens, he did not read words that were not there or infer intent that did not exist. Instead, Justice Scalia simply understood the Constitution, as the Founders understood it. Judge Scalia's passing marked a watershed moment for the future of our country. Suddenly, in the midst of the last Presidential campaign, voters were empowered to determine the philosophical balance of the Supreme Court at the polls. By entrusting Republicans with the stewardship of our Federal Government, voters signaled their desire for change and for the values that our party embraces.…
Source
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