Romney Campaign Press Release - The Romney Agenda: Stronger Families And Judges Who Follow The Law

"Judges have a lasting impact on the character of a community and the application of law, and these things are fundamental to a successful society." – Governor Mitt Romney (David L. Yas, "Gov. Romney On Picking Judges: 'It's My Job,'" Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 3/27/06)

Governor Romney's Conservative Plan To Strengthen Families And The Importance Of Judges Who Follow The Rule Of Law:

Today, Governor Mitt Romney Discussed His Conservative Plan To Strengthen Families And The Importance Of Nominating Judges Who Will Follow The Law. Families are the building blocks of America. Our future as a nation is determined not just by heads of state but also by heads of households. Important to ensuring that Washington stands alongside parents is a President who will nominate judges who do not legislate from the bench. Too often, efforts to protect our most traditional values are undermined by judges who legislate from the bench instead of following the law.

- Governor Romney Will Nominate Judges Who Follow The Law And Constitution. Governor Romney believes that Presidents have a solemn obligation to appoint women and men for judicial service who respect the rule of law and who will be faithful to the law as enacted. As President, he will nominate judges who respect the separation of powers, are committed to judicial restraint, and have a genuine appreciation of the text, structure, and history of our Constitution. The judges he nominates will recognize that as Justice Scalia once said, the Court ought not take the field as some kind of "junior-varsity Congress."

- Governor Romney Has Announced A Strong Advisory Committee On The Constitution And The Courts Led By Professors Mary Ann Glendon And Douglas W. Kmiec That Will Advise Him On Judicial Matters.

Governor Romney Will Protect Marriage By Championing A Federal Marriage Amendment:

Governor Romney Will Champion A Federal Marriage Amendment To Protect Marriage As The Union Of A Man And A Woman. Increasingly, judges are using their power on the bench to legislate and legalize same-sex marriage. Governor Romney knows this first hand from his experience in Massachusetts. He believes marriage is primarily about the development and nurturing of children, and that every child deserves a mother and a father. Marriage is too important an issue to be left to unelected judges.

- Governor Romney Is The Only Major Republican Candidate Who Supports A Federal Marriage Amendment Because It Is The Only Way To Truly Protect Marriage.


- Governor Romney Spoke Out Against The Iowa Court Decision Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage. "The ruling in Iowa today is another example of an activist court and unelected judges trying to redefine marriage and disregard the will of the people as expressed through Iowa's Defense of Marriage Act. This once again highlights the need for a Federal Marriage Amendment to protect the traditional definition of marriage as between one man and one woman." (Romney For President, "Governor Mitt Romney On Iowa's Defense Of Marriage Act," Press Release,10/25/07)

Governor Romney Will Promote A Culture Of Life:

Governor Romney Will Be A Pro-Life President. For more than 30 years, judges have had a profound impact on the sanctity of human life. As the recent Supreme Court decision on partial-birth abortion demonstrates, judges can have an enormous impact on our leaders' abilities to pursue pro-life policies. As President, Governor Romney will oppose taxpayer-funded abortion, partial-birth abortion, abortion in military clinics and funding of abortion in international aid programs. He will work to ban embryonic cloning.

- Governor Romney Praised The Supreme Court Ruling Upholding The Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act. "Today, our nation's highest court reaffirmed the value of life in America by upholding a ban on a practice that offends basic human decency. This decision represents a step forward in protecting the weakest and most innocent among us." (Romney For President, "Statement On Supreme Court's Partial Birth Abortion Ruling," Press Release, 4/18/07)

Governor Romney Will Protect Our Children By Fighting Internet Pornography:

Governor Romney Will Fight The Modern Plague Of Internet Pornography, Especially As It Impacts Our Youth. We must clean up the culture that surrounds our children. Computer pornography has given new meaning to the words "home invasion." As President, Governor Romney will work to ensure that every home computer has an easy to engage pornography filter so that parents can protect their children. Predators who use the Internet to sexually assault children will be subject to a new "One Strike, You're Ours" law that imposes long prison sentences followed by lifetime GPS tracking.

- In Massachusetts, Governor Romney Witnessed First-Hand The Power Of Judges To Impact Policies That Protect Our Children. In April 2003, Governor Romney announced that information and photos of high-level sex offenders would be posted online. At the time, Governor Romney said, "The public has a right to know where dangerous sex offenders live and work so they can protect their children and themselves." However, it was not until a year later that the State's highest court affirmed that information could be posted online.