Posted on 02/24/2016 4:13:52 AM PST by iowamark
Senator Chuck Grassley's staff just emailed the following announcement:
WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans today sent a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicating that they will exercise their constitutional authority to withhold consent of a Supreme Court nomination and will not hold hearings on a Supreme Court nominee until the next President is sworn in.
The letter, signed by all Judiciary Committee Republicans, says, "Accordingly, given the particular circumstances under which this vacancy arises, we wish to inform you of our intention to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill Justice Scalia's vacancy. Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this Committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017."
Committee members wrote that they wanted, "To ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time." Concerns have been raised about the President already indicating that he has no intention of nominating somebody in the mold of Justice Scalia. Regardless, it is principle over the person that matters most.
As former Judiciary Committee Chairman and current Vice-President Joe Biden said in a speech given on the Senate floor, "It is my view that if the President goes the way of Presidents Fillmore and Johnson and presses an election-year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over." And as he said, it does not matter, "How good a person is nominated by the President."
A copy of the text of the letter is below.
Dear Majority Leader McConnell,
As we write, we are in the midst of a great national debate over the course our country will take in the coming years. The Presidential election is well underway. Americans have already begun to cast their votes. As we mourn the tragic loss of Justice Antonin Scalia, and celebrate his life's work, the American people are presented with an exceedingly rare opportunity to decide, in a very real and concrete way, the direction the Court will take over the next generation. We believe The People should have this opportunity.
Over the last few days, much has been written about the constitutional power to fill Supreme Court vacancies, a great deal of it inaccurate. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution is clear. The President may nominate judges of the Supreme Court. But the power to grant, or withhold, consent to such nominees rests exclusively with the United States Senate. This is not a difficult or novel constitutional question. As Minority Leader Harry Reid observed in 2005, "The duties of the Senate are set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Nowhere in that document does it say the Senate has a duty to give the Presidential nominees a vote. It says appointments shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. That is very different than saying every nominee receives a vote."
We intend to exercise the constitutional power granted the Senate under Article II, Section 2 to ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time. Not since 1932 has the Senate confirmed in a presidential election year a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy arising in that year. And it is necessary to go even further back -- to 1888 -- in order to find an election year nominee who was nominated and confirmed under divided government, as we have now.
Accordingly, given the particular circumstances under which this vacancy arises, we wish to inform you of our intention to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill Justice Scalia's vacancy. Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this Committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017.
Sincerely, Chuck Grassley Orrin Hatch Jeff Sessions Lindsey Graham John Cornyn Mike Lee Ted Cruz Jeff Flake David Vitter David Perdue Thom Tillis
Kind of surprised Linda Graham went along with this...
okay who unlocked the closet with the GOP spines locked in there...
This probably has nothing to do with Obama, or the caliber of any nominee he appoints. These Republican Senators probably don’t want the media circus of confirmation hearings going on during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Those are the marching orders, right?
the tar and feathering will be put off for a few days.....
Blah blah blah... more meaningless bleeting from the and gutless ballless GOPe pansies.
I will believe it if it is still thus in January 2017.
I will believe it if it is still thus in January 2017.
Finally some Guts from the Republicans .....I sure hope they hold firm on this one.
At least for right now.
But when the Democrats threaten to shut-down the government (yet again), we’ll fall into line.
I think the RINOs are feeling the Trump Effect.
Looks like the GOP senators are catching a little of that Trump fever.
They are starting to suck up to President Trump.
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It has also been reported that Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Chuck Grassley has decided to invoke the "Biden Rules," WRT Senate hearings on a possible Obama USSC nomination.
SOURCE: Audio sound bite number six: June 25, 1992, on the Senate floor. Senator Biden says President George H. W. Bush should not appoint a Supreme Court justice in an election year.
BIDEN: It is my view that if president Bush goes the way of Presidents Fillmore and [Andrew] Johnson and presses an election-year nomination, the Senate Judiciary Committee should seriously consider not scheduling confirmation hearings on the nomination until after the political campaign season is over.
It would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is underway -- and it is -- action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and essential to the process. Otherwise it seems to me, Mr. President, we will be in deep trouble as an institution. END BIDEN QUOTE
Boy oh Boy do they want to keep their cushy jobs!
Apparently, the Criminal Class AKA the GOPe, is getting nervous about a likely Trump victory.
LMBO!
LOL - life is good! GO Trump!!!
Amen to THAT!
Our guys are taking Biden at his word... AND growing backbones at the same time... Wonder of wonders... Life is good Liz...
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