Americans should not be concerned about government dysfunction because the Founding Fathers intended for “gridlock” to occur, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said Wednesday.
Scalia and Justice Stephen Breyer testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the role of judges under the Constitution. Scalia last testified to Congress in 1986 for his confirmation hearing.
Scalia told lawmakers the authors of the Constitution deliberately set up the U.S. system of government, separating powers between the branches, to make the legislative process difficult.
This way, Scalia said, only good legislation gets through.
“Americans should appreciate that,” Scalia said. “They should learn to love the gridlock.”
Scalia and Breyer also addressed why they both oppose allowing television broadcasts of oral arguments during the nearly two-and-a-half hour hearing.
