Two people familiar with the process say the White House is considering Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada as one of several potential nominees to the Supreme Court.
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If true, this makes the search for Scalia’s replacement pretty interesting. “I’m sure there would be questions on his full legal credentials”, University of Nevada-Reno Professor Eric Herzik said, adding he thinks Sandoval’s actual nomination is a long shot. The below video is an excerpt of a speech given by Sandoval at the 2012 Republican national convention.
The 11 Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee released a letter Tuesday announcing their intention “to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this president”.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the second-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said the petitions being delivered were “just the beginning of the public rising up”.
Sandoval, a centrist governor, could be seen as an overture to Senate Republicans who have vowed to block the president’s pick for Scalia’s spot on the court. Rob Portman has said he agrees with not holding hearings in this election year on a Supreme Court appointment. The real-estate mogul’s victory in the Nevada Republican caucuses has splintered the party into three strands-Ted Cruz’s traditional conservative purists, Marco Rubio’s mainstream conservatives, and Trump’s alliance of angry populists.
Justice Scalia’s unexpected death earlier this month has threatened the balance of the nine-justice court, and triggered a political clash between Mr Obama and Senate Republicans.
“While some say that my comments in June 1992 contributed to a more politicized nomination process, they didn’t prevent the Senate from fulfilling its constitutional duties, because there was no vacancy at the time”, he said.
Given that Obama has already nominated record numbers of minorities and women to federal judgeships, as well as his personal commitment to diversity in the judiciary, he is likely to again choose a woman or minority, said Ed Pagano, a former lobbyist for the Obama White House and former chief of staff to Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, the top-ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. Conservatives will definitely object to Sandoval, in part because of his position on abortion rights.
“I’m willing to talk to the president”, he said.
“At that point, not only are you going to see more and more vacancies and the court system break down, but the credibility of the Court begins to diminish because it’s viewed simply as an extension of our politics”, Obama said after a White House meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. McConnell showed little sign he would retreat from his position that Obama’s successor should select Scalia’s replacement on the high court.
Heller’s written statement concluded, “But should he decide to nominate someone to the Supreme Court, who knows, maybe it’ll be a Nevadan”.
Sandoval, meanwhile, said he hasn’t been contacted about any potential nomination. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the committee’s chairman and gatekeeper – issued a clear proclamation: There would be no hearings and no vote on anyone Obama puts forward.
Sandoval and Obama might argue that he has both legal experience and real-world political experience. Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said of McConnell. “And to weigh in, obviously, based on who… that next president will nominate”.
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Obama said the new law makes sure data is protected under USA privacy laws, “not only American citizens, but also foreign citizens”.
