2019 Betty Murphy Award Winner Mike Davis on Judicial Nominations

On Friday during the National Policy Conference, the RNLA gave the 2019 Betty Murphy Award to Mike Davis, former Chief Counsel for Nominations to the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Mr. Davis tweeted that former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley is the true "unsung hero" of confirming President Trump's judicial nominees:

Before receiving the award, Mr. Davis said:

Largely because of Chairman Grassley's hard work and steady leadership, the Senate confirmed Justice Gorsuch, Justice Kavanaugh, a record 30 circuit judges, and 53 district judges. And Chairman Grassley held hearings for another 50 judicial nominees, including six of the seven circuit judges - and seven of the eight total judges - who the Senate has confirmed this year. . . . At 85 judges appointed under President Trump last Congress, Chairman Grassley led the effort to confirm nearly twice as many judges as the 43 judges that President Obama appointed in his first two years in office. . . .

While Chairman Grassley made this look easy, it certainly was not. Chairman Grassley and his team thoroughly vetted each of these nominees, carefully examining their backgrounds and qualifications, understanding their judicial philosophy, and carefully assessing their character and fitness to serve. . . .

This took a significant amount of Chairman Grassley's time. But Chairman Grassley understands the critical importance of appointing judges who find and apply the law as the public understood the law at the time of its enactment. And Chairman Grassley also understands the dangers to liberty - in fact, the tyranny - when judges think it is their job to substitute their policy preferences for those of the American people and their elected representatives in Congress.

Fortunately, we are winning.  The President is fulfilling his promise to the American people to nominate and appoint judges who are constitutionalists, originalists, and textualists.

Mr. Davis went on to describe the "historic obstruction" by the Democrats and provide insights into the Kavanaugh confirmation process and the great lengths to which Chairman Grassley and the Senate Judiciary Committee staff went to thoroughly investigate all allegations against then-Judge Kavanaugh and make the process as transparent as possible.  And now, Chairman Lindsey Graham is continuing the excellent, record-breaking work started by Chairman Grassley.

Thank you, Mike Davis, for your service to our country and to the rule of law.