Bob Menendez: “In recent weeks, the Trump administration and House Republicans have set their sights on the Federal judiciary, calling…”

“In recent weeks, the Trump administration and House Republicans have set their sights on the Federal judiciary, calling for unprecedented changes to our courts, attacking the character of dedicated Federal judges, and attempting to undermine the separation of powers that has upheld our democracy for centuries. As an attorney by trade, I understand how concerning this is for our Nation's future. In this moment, we cannot be silent nor treat these attacks as normal. Mr. Speaker, I would like to read excerpts from the American Bar Association's statement on the Republican assault on our judiciary into the record. ``There have now been statements by officials criticizing judges for not following the last people. Judges swear oaths to follow the law, not public opinion polling or political chatter or what someone contends is the will of the people. The Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote in his `2024 Year End Report on the Federal Judiciary': ` . . . Attempts to intimidate judges for their rulings in cases are inappropriate and should be vigorously opposed.' ``We may disagree with interpretation of case law, but it is unacceptable to personally target judges just because we disagree with their ruling. We cannot have a judicial system where the government seeks to remove judges simply because they do not rule as the government desires.…”