McConnell said even Vice President Joe Biden had argued back in 1992 for postponing action on Supreme Court nominees during an election year. Several of them have offered conflicting comments. Biden was speaking hypothetically, the Senate was not considering a nominee at that time. “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice”, he said in a statement shortly after Scalia’s death was announced.
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On Monday, only CBS Evening News covered the Biden video, while NBC Nightly News and ABC’s World News Tonight avoided the news.
State Rep. Matt Gaetz has introduced his own amendment to a judicial term-limits bill that will be before the House Tuesday, inspired by the debate over naming a successor to the late U.S. Supreme Court Antonin Scalia.
“I believe the overwhelming view of the Republican conference of the Senate is that this nomination, this vacancy, should not be filled by this lame-duck president”, McConnell told reporters after his conference met behind closed doors for lunch. “We’re standing for a principle that the next president ought to resolve this problem”.
JAN CRAWFORD: Well, good morning. “And each caucus may decide who’s going to vote where and what but that basically you let the vote come up.”- Obama, at a news conference last week.
“Instead, it would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is under way, and it is, action on a supreme court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over”, said Biden, then a DE senator.
And he said Mr. Biden’s record on the committee was “hard to beat” for fairness.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY [R-IA]: In his heart of hearts, he understands why this Senate must do what he said it must do in 1992.
“I think the obligation of the Senate is to carefully consider any nominee whom the president submits”, Collins said, in a press briefing, the Hill said. Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid condemned McConnell’s stance as “obstruction on steroids”, adding: “Gone are the days of levelheadedness and compromise”.
After Obama’s remarks, Senator Charles Grassley, the Republican chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee, left open the possibility that he would hold hearings on Obama’s nominee to replace Scalia.
In response to McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Sen.
The meeting will meet in the Capitol shortly before Republicans host their Tuesday lunch, a McConnell aide said.
“The nomination should be made by the president the people elect in the election that’s underway right now”, McConnell said.
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“Some will criticize such a decision and say that it was nothing more than an attempt to save a seat on the court in hopes that a Democrat will be permitted to fill it, but that would not be our intention”, Biden said at the time. That would mean lower court decisions such as one overturning Obama’s executive moves on immigration would stand, while others, such as an appellate ruling backing up public employee unions in their right to assess dues, would be affirmed and go Obama’s way.
