Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today told President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland that the Senate will not hold a vote on his nomination.
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The dean of Harvard’s Law School said Wednesday that Judge Garland is, “An outstanding, meticulous and thoughtful judge with a superb career of public service”. But Obama has reportedly tapped Garland who might be able to convince the Republicans to change their course as he sees him fit for his moderate record of being a prosecutor with a history of Republican support.
Garland is a veteran judge on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., considered the country’s second most important judicial body.
Judge Garland, who has won praise from both parties, was named to his current job by Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1997, winning Senate confirmation in a 76 to 23 vote.
The Senate majority leader said Wednesday that he wants to “Give the people a voice in filling this vacancy” and wait almost an entire year until the next president is elected and sworn in to choose a justice. “Judge Garland is a highly qualified nominee”.
The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be.
Republicans say the task of replacing the late Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court should be handled by the next president, who will take office in January.
Americans did not need a calendar to measure the time it took Republicans to oppose President Obama’s nominee to fill a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy.
“Yes, I think it’s within his job description to make that nomination”, said Missoula resident Steve Thompson. Republicans control the Senate, which must confirm any nominee.
Tillis sent out a statement Wednesday and it reads, “While President Obama is entitled to nominate an individual to the Supreme Court, the Senate has made it clear it will be exercising its Constitutional authority to withhold consent of the nomination”. The White House has said it is determined to press forward with the confirmation process.
Oklahomans at the memorial, however, said Garland’s nomination is what the Sooner State needs. And the U.S. Constitution clearly assigns the task of nominating Supreme Court justices to the chief executive of the moment.
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Judge Garland will head to Capitol Hill to begin meeting with Senators, one by one on Thursday. “Anything less would be a total abdication of the Senate’s constitutional responsibilities”.
