--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Senator, my answer is that the…" description: "\"Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court requires that nominees before this committee for a position on that cour..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg" --- # Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity… ![“Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court requires that nominees before this committee for a position on that court not forecast, give predictions, give hints, about how they might rule in cases that might come before the Supreme Court,.” quote by John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg) > “Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court requires that nominees before this committee for a position on that court not forecast, give predictions, give hints, about how they might rule in cases that might come before the Supreme Court,.” [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Judicial nominees must avoid pre‑emptive statements about future rulings to preserve Court independence and integrity. **In simple terms:** Judges should not predict decisions. Key Takeaway Maintain impartiality. Themes judicial ethics court independence political neutrality Mood cautious formal Type ethical political When to use this quote - nomination hearings - media interviews - public statements Key Concepts separation of powers predictive restraint Questions to Reflect On - How can judges balance transparency with restraint? - What risks arise from speculative comments? A Different Perspective Predicting rulings can undermine public trust in the judiciary. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Cases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cases/) [Committees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committees/) [Constitution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constitution/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Court Forecast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court-forecast-4038544/) [Forecasts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forecasts/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Hints](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hints/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Integrity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/integrity/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Nominees Committee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nominees-committee-4038541/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Predictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/predictions/) [Requires Nominees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/requires-nominees-4038542/) [Senator Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senator-answer-4038543/) [Senators](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senators/) [Supreme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) ## Related quotes > [When Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg was before us in 1993, she said that her standard was to give no hints, no forecasts, no previews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orrin-hatch/when-judge-ruth-bader-ginsburg-was-before-us-in-1993-she-said-that/) [Orrin Hatch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orrin-hatch/) > [Trivial facts are often the best hints to what is going on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/trivial-facts-are-often-the-best-hints-to-what-is-going-on/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [One of the soundest rules to remember when making forecasts in the field of economics is that whatever is to happen is happening already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-porter/one-of-the-soundest-rules-to-remember-when-making-forecasts-in-the/) [Sylvia Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-porter/) > [Dont tell me dreams, or expectations, or forecasts. Just tell me the facts, and the truth. I want to know exactly where we stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dont-tell-me-dreams-or-expectations-or-forecasts-just-tell-me-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Saudi Arabian oil production is at or very near its peak sustainable volume (if it did not, in fact peak almost 25 years ago),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simmons/saudi-arabian-oil-production-is-at-or-very-near-its-peak-sustainable/) [Matthew Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simmons/) > [I once read about a meeting of economists who agreed that if their forecasts were 33 1/3 % correct, that was considered a high…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-m-loeb/i-once-read-about-a-meeting-of-economists-who-agreed-that-if-their/) [Gerald M. Loeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-m-loeb/) > [Hope differs from optimism. Hope does not arise from being told to "think positively," or from hearing an overly rosy forecast. Hope, unlike optimism,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-groopman/hope-differs-from-optimism-hope-does-not-arise-from-being-told-to/) [Jerome Groopman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-groopman/) > [I find my past in my present, and from these forecast my future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-bronson-alcott/i-find-my-past-in-my-present-and-from-these-forecast-my-future/) [Amos Bronson Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-bronson-alcott/) > [There are poems about the internet and about the shipping forecast but very few by women celebrating men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germaine-greer/there-are-poems-about-the-internet-and-about-the-shipping-forecast/) [Germaine Greer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germaine-greer/) > ["(Big name research firm) says our market will be $50 billion in 2010." Every entrepreneur has a few slides about how the market potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-kawasaki/big-name-research-firm-says-our-market-will-be-50-billion-in-2010/) [Guy Kawasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-kawasaki/) > [A commonplace of political rhetoric has it that the quality of a civilization may be measured by how it cares for its elderly. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-patrick-moynihan/a-commonplace-of-political-rhetoric-has-it-that-the-quality-of-a/) [Daniel Patrick Moynihan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-patrick-moynihan/) > [Confidence in a forecast rises with the amount of information that goes into it. But the accuracy of the forecast stays the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-williams/confidence-in-a-forecast-rises-with-the-amount-of-information-that/) [Dean Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-williams/) > [The federal government is starting to plan for climate change by making extended forecasts that can help people plan for extreme weather - because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/the-federal-government-is-starting-to-plan-for-climate-change-by/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [It's impossible for us to forecast what's going to happen ten years from now and make a decision today to say what we're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rangel/it-s-impossible-for-us-to-forecast-what-s-going-to-happen-ten-years/) [Charles Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rangel/) > [Weathermen merely forecast rain to keep everyone else off the golf course](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/weathermen-merely-forecast-rain-to-keep-everyone-else-off-the-golf/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) ## More by John Roberts > [You can't fight for your rights if you don't know what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/you-can-t-fight-for-your-rights-if-you-don-t-know-what-they-are/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedent, shaped by other judges equally striving to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/judges-have-to-have-the-humility-to-recognize-that-they-operate/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [I will be vigilant to protect the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court, and I will work to ensure that it upholds the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-will-be-vigilant-to-protect-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If the Constitution says that the little guy should win, the little guy is going to win in court before me, ... But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-the-constitution-says-that-the-little-guy-should-win-the-little/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [There is no better gift a society can give children than the opportunity to grow up safe and free - the chance to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-no-better-gift-a-society-can-give-children-than-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the Soviet constitution, and he noted that it purported to grant wonderful rights of all sorts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/president-ronald-reagan-used-to-speak-of-the-soviet-constitution-and/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [When I worked in the Department of Justice, in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/when-i-worked-in-the-department-of-justice-in-the-office-of-the/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [While some of the tales of woe emanating from the court are enough to bring tears to the eyes, it is true that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/while-some-of-the-tales-of-woe-emanating-from-the-court-are-enough-to/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [A chief justice's authority is really quite limited, and the dynamic among all the justices is going to affect whether he can accomplish much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/a-chief-justice-s-authority-is-really-quite-limited-and-the-dynamic/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-children-do-not-understand-the-constitution-they-cannot-understand/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [I think judicial temperament is a willingness to step back from your own committed views of the correct jurisprudential approach and evaluate those views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-think-judicial-temperament-is-a-willingness-to-step-back-from-your/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [There is a risk of death associated with donating a piece of liver. It's about one in 500 for the risk of death. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-a-risk-of-death-associated-with-donating-a-piece-of-liver-it/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [An important function of the Supreme Court is to provide guidance, .. As a lower court judge, I appreciate clear guidance from the Supreme Court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/an-important-function-of-the-supreme-court-is-to-provide-guidance-as/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [Justice Rehnquist was friendly and unpretentious. He wore scuffed Hush Puppy shoes. That was my first lesson. Clothes do not make the man. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/justice-rehnquist-was-friendly-and-unpretentious-he-wore-scuffed-hush/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) > [If it's a situation in which the public is being given access, you can't discriminate against the media and say, as a general matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-it-s-a-situation-in-which-the-public-is-being-given-access-you-can/) [John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) [Explore all 48 John Roberts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. The lyrics are the answer to all your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/instead-of-asking-a-girl-how-she-feels-try-looking-through-her/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [When the first Superman movie came out I was frequently asked "What is a hero?" ...My answer was that a hero is someone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/when-the-first-superman-movie-came-out-i-was-frequently-asked-what-is/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/) [Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/) [Browse all 7,843 Answers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court requires that nominees before this committee for a position on that court not forecast, give predictions, give hints, about how they might rule in cases that might come before the Supreme Court,.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Roberts" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Answers" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e32/john-roberts-13892_answers_senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independen_2887880.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Senator, my answer is that the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court requires that nominees before…” — John Roberts", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Roberts", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Senator, my answer is that the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/senator-my-answer-is-that-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```