Blumenthal, Judiciary Committee Dems: Committee Must Allow Public Hearings for SCOTUS Nominee
In Letter to Chairman Grassley, Dems Write: “The American people deserve to have their elected officials make decisions in a transparent and accountable manner
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), along with Democratic colleagues in the Senate Judiciary Committee, called on Republicans to drop their wholesale obstruction of a Supreme Court nominee and allow the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty of advice and consent.
In a letter to Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and all Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), made clear that they do not support shutting down the process of filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court, as Republicans are demanding.
The letter to Grassley comes after Committee Republicans met behind closed doors with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and decided that they would not proceed with a public process for considering a nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy arising from Justice Antonin Scalia’s untimely death.
Preventing hearings for President Obama’s nominee to fill the seat would mark new Senate history. Since the Judiciary Committee began holdings hearings for Supreme Court nominees in 1916, every pending Supreme Court nominee has received a hearing, except 9 nominees who were all confirmed within 11 days.
A copy of the February 23 letter to Chairman Grassley is below and available online
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February 23, 2016
The Honorable Charles E. Grassley
U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Grassley and Republican Members of the Judiciary Committee:
We understand Senate Republicans of the Judiciary Committee unilaterally decided in a closed door meeting today, without consultation or public debate, to deny a hearing or any other consideration to the next Supreme Court nominee.
Contrary to what Majority Leader McConnell announced to the press this afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee did not unanimously recommend anything today. We did not have an Executive Business meeting or any opportunity for the Committee to debate the issue of hearings for the next Supreme Court nominee. On matters of such profound national importance, the American people deserve to have their elected officials make decisions in a transparent and accountable manner.
Today’s announcement by Republican Committee members is nothing but a partisan attempt to avoid fulfilling your duty to consider the next Supreme Court nominee. As Senators, our constitutional duty is to provide advice and consent. Since Committee hearings began in 1916, every pending Supreme Court nominee has received a hearing, except 9 nominees who were all confirmed within 11 days. Your decision is an unprecedented and drastic departure from this body’s history.
You may view the decision to deny the next Supreme Court nominee a hearing as politically expedient. But the fact is your decision will harm our constitutional democracy and undermine the Supreme Court’s ability to be our Nation’s final arbiter of the law. You and the Majority Leader have decided to deprive the American people of a fully functioning Supreme Court for two terms. History will not look kindly on this decision, nor will the American people.
You should reconsider your position, so the Senate and this Committee can do the job the American people elected us to do.
Sincerely,
PATRICK LEAHY
Ranking Member
DIANNE FEINSTEIN
United States Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER
United States Senator
RICHARD J. DURBIN
United States Senator
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE
United States Senator
AMY KLOBUCHAR
United States Senator
AL FRANKEN
United States Senator
CHRISTOPHER A. COONS
United States Senator
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL
United States Senator
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