At this weekend’s Values Voter Summit, and again on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday, former House speaker and presidential candidate Newt Gingrich
stated that as president, he would urge Congress to subpoena federal judges whose
decisions he disagreed with and even ignore Supreme Court rulings that
he believes are wrong.

“Among all the outrageous things said at the Values Voter Summit, Newt Gingrich’s plan to kneecap the federal courts is perhaps the most dangerous,”
said Marge Baker, Executive Vice President of People For the American Way. “What Gingrich is proposing is truly radical. Our nation’s strength
derives from our commitment to the rule of law and our respect for the separation of powers. For the judiciary to effectively fill its role in our
democracy, judges must remain accountable to the law and the Constitution, not to the political pressures of the day.

“The founders created an effective way for the president, members of Congress and the states to take on Supreme Court decisions that they feel are
wrong while respecting the foundations of democracy. The current effort to amend the Constitution to reverse the Citizens United decision is an
example of the founders’ vision in action.

“By suggesting that the president and Congress can act above the law, Gingrich is striking a blow to the very foundation of our Constitution. His party
and his fellow candidates shouldn’t let him get away with it.”

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