<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany said President Barack Obama should not appoint a new Supreme Court justice to replace Antonin Scalia, who died Feb. 13.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“This is an appointment the next president should make,” Boustany, R-Lafayette, told the</span> <span style="font-style: italic;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">American Press</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">editorial board Thursday. “I think that’s what the American people largely want. Why would we give that to a lame-duck president finishing out his second term?”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Boustany said he supported Scalia and wants his replacement to be a conservative justice “who respects the Constitution … and the three branches of government.” He said the justice should not interfere with lawmakers’ abilities.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“I want a Supreme Court that recognizes the executive branch doesn’t reign supreme and that we get back to a balance in our Constitution,” he said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Boustany is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by David Vitter, R-La. Vitter, who lost to Democrat John Bel Edwards in the race for Louisiana governor, has said he will not seek re-election for the Senate seat.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Boustany said he is focusing on three basic issues — strengthening national security, restoring economic growth and safeguarding American values. He said most Americans have “lost confidence in President Obama’s ability to conduct foreign policy.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Our friends don’t trust us; our enemies don’t fear us,” Boustany said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said the U.S. needs to have an “aggressive stance” in dealing with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, along with China and the threat of Islamic State. He said he supports funding a strong military and an improved intelligence capability.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">On the economy, Boustany said that the focus shouldn’t just be about pushing for businesses to grow, but to help those with regular jobs afford basic expenses. “Economic growth means higher wages (and) more purchasing power, all without inflation,” he said.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Boustany said the economy won’t be restored unless the nation returns to “the basic core American values.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">He said decisions in other countries affect Louisiana and that the next senator should understand those effects. He said the state’s diverse economy is a major factor in leading the nation economically.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Boustany said the support of presidential candidates like Donald Trump, who is running on the Republican ticket, and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., is the “reflection of an underlying problem.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The problem is a complete loss of confidence … in America’s leadership role,” he said. “And so it’s being expressed in anger and support for somebody like Trump or Sanders. We have to rapidly restore trust in our institutions and in our ability to shape events, and that’s going to require real leadership.”</span>