【美国总统电台演说】2006-01-14

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Last October, I was proud to nominate Judge Sam Alito to be an Associate Justice on the Supreme 1 Court of the United States. This week, Judge Alito testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and the American people saw a man of character and intelligence. He forthrightly 2 answered questions with grace and composure, and showed his personal humility 3 and legal brilliance 4 -- qualities that have made him one of America's most accomplished 5 and respected judges.

Judge Alito has embodied 7 this understanding of a judge's proper role throughout his distinguished 8 career. He has participated in thousands of appeals, and he has authored hundreds of opinions. His record shows that he strictly 9 and fairly interprets the Constitution and laws, and does not try to legislate 10 from the bench or impose his personal preference on the people. As the American people saw this week, Judge Alito always approaches the law in a thoughtful, fair, and open-minded way.

Throughout his life, Sam Alito has demonstrated a mastery of the law, great decency 11, and a strong commitment to public service. As a young man, he wore his country's uniform in the Army Reserve, and achieved the rank of Captain. Early in his legal career, he worked as a federal prosecutor 12. As Assistant to the Solicitor 13 General, Sam Alito argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court. He later served in the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, where he provided constitutional advice for the President and the executive branch.

In 1987, President Reagan named Sam Alito the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey 14 -- the top federal prosecutor in one of the Nation's largest federal districts. The Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent. In this important post, Sam Alito showed a passionate 15 commitment to justice and the rule of law, and earned a reputation for being both tough and fair. He moved aggressively against white-collar and environmental crimes, drug trafficking, organized crime, and violations 16 of civil rights. In 1990, President Bush nominated Sam Alito for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the Senate once again confirmed him by unanimous consent. He's served with distinction on that court for 15 years, and he has more prior judicial 17 experience than any Supreme Court nominee 18 in more than 70 years.

Sam Alito's brilliance, integrity, and accomplishments 19 have gained him respect and praise from his colleagues and from attorneys across the political spectrum 20. This week, fellow judges from the Third Circuit publicly testified in support of his confirmation 21, and they praised his integrity and fairness. The American Bar Association gave Judge Alito a unanimous rating of "well-qualified 22" -- the ABA's highest possible rating. The ABA concluded that Judge Alito meets "the highest standards" of "integrity, professional competence 23, and judicial temperament 24." In the past, leading Democratic senators have called the ABA's rating system the "gold standard" for judicial nominees 25.

During this week's hearings and over the course of his career, Judge Alito has demonstrated that he is eminently 26 qualified to serve on our Nation's highest court. I'm grateful to Senator Arlen Specter for his superb work in chairing the hearings. I also thank Judge Alito's wife, Martha, and the Alito children for their patience and dignity during the confirmation process.

Now the Senate has a duty to give Judge Alito a prompt up-or-down vote. I look forward to the Senate voting to confirm Sam Alito as 110th Justice of the Supreme Court. America is fortunate to have a man of his intellect and integrity willing to serve, and as a Justice on our Nation's highest court, Sam Alito will make all Americans proud.

Thank you for listening.

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