Despite his Pennsylvania colleague’s public urging yesterday, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey won’t change his mind on replacing Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
After President Barack Obama nominated District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland today to replace the late conservative justice, Mr. Toomey said he still wants to wait until voters elect a new president who will nominate the replacement.
“With the U.S. Supreme Court’s balance at stake, and with the presidential election fewer than eight months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice,” Mr. Toomey said in a statement. “Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully considerDespite his Pennsylvania colleague’s public urging yesterday, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey won’t change his mind on replacing Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court.
After President Barack Obama nominated District of Columbia Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland today to replace the late conservative justice, Mr. Toomey said he still wants to wait until voters elect a new president who will nominate the replacement.
“With the U.S. Supreme Court’s balance at stake, and with the presidential election fewer than eight months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice,” Mr. Toomey said in a statement. “Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination, as I have done with dozens of judges submitted by President Obama.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell already said today the Senate won’t consider a nominee this year, setting up a potential issue for the Democrats as they campaign to keep the White House and regain control of at least the Senate.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey dismissed Mr. Toomey’s argument yesterday as “a nice slogan” without mention his colleague by name. Today, he again urged the Senate to vote on Judge Garland.
“Chief Judge Merrick Garland is an eminently qualified nominee for the Supreme Court who has established a record of fairness, integrity and legal excellence over many years. I look forward to reviewing Judge Garland’s record and giving his nomination the full consideration it deserves,” Mr. Casey said in a statement. “The president has done his job as is proscribed under the Constitution, and it’s time for Senate Republicans to commit to doing their job by giving this nominee a fair hearing and a timely vote. Several Senate Republicans have engaged in outrageous political games by refusing to commit to giving any nominee under President Obama a hearing or even a meeting in their offices. The Constitution is clear. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution explicitly requires the President to select a nominee for any vacancy to the Supreme Court, and the Senate to advise and consent on that nominee.”
Mr. Casey accused “extreme rightwing groupslike Heritage Action” of issuing “marching orders to Senate Republicans to shut down any judicial nominations until President Obama left office.”
“Since then, Senate Republicans have marched in lockstep with Heritage Action and extreme voices on the right,” he said. “The history of independence that the Senate Judiciary Committee has earned will evaporate if Committee Republicans continues down this path. Senators are free to vote however they choose on a Supreme Court nominee, but they must do their job and give that nominee a fair hearing and a timely vote.”
— BORYS KRAWCZENIUK
↧
UPDATED: Toomey doesn’t change his mind on new justice, but Casey thinks he should
↧