Judge Neil Gorsuch's fascination with death could come back to haunt him when his Supreme Court confirmation proceedings begin in the Senate, especially among Democrats who are wary of confirming an anti-abortion justice.
Gorsuch has written at length on issues of death and dying — he wrote a book titled "The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia" — and has consistently offered a defense of the inviolability-of-life principle. Senate Democrats looking to obstruct Gorsuch's confirmation may take issue with his writing on assisted suicide and read between the lines of his work for evidence that he could oppose abortion rights from the bench.
Gorsuch's book on assisted suicide revealed that he believes that "the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong." In the book, he argued that if Americans begin to justify the intentional taking of human life as a necessity, then the weakest and most vulnerable people could be deemed less valuable and receive less protection under the law.
At his 10th Circuit Court confirmation proceedings before the Senate in 2006, Gorsuch said his personal views on the issue of assisted suicide and euthanasia would have nothing to do with how he will adjudicate cases.
"[M]y writings, just to clarify, have been largely in defense of existing law, that is, they are consistent with the Supreme Court's decisions in this area and existing law in most places," Gorsuch said at the time. "So, I do not think there is actually much tension between my writings and anything that might come before the court, but I can pledge to this committee, senator, that I will reach any question before me, should I become a judge, with an open mind and listen to the arguments of counsel, the views of my colleagues and prior case law from theSupreme Court, and the various Courts of Appeals."
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01.14.2025