Washington, D.C. – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today issued the following statement in response to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement:
“Although I sometimes disagreed with Justice Kennedy—particularly with his flawed opinion in Citizens United—he served our nation honorably. I thank him for his service.
“Justice Kennedy was the critical vote to secure constitutional protections, including marriage equality and reproductive rights. Filling his vacancy will be among the most important decisions of our lifetimes. The stakes require vigilance to protect the Court’s future and our fundamental rights.
“The President and the Senate owe it to the next generation of Americans to identify a consensus nominee who can earn the confidence of the American people. The President should resist the temptation to nominate an extremist who could be approved only by a bare majority vote. We should not poison the Court further with the Senate’s partisanship.”