Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Tuesday that the Senate won’t “stonewall” Hillary Clinton’s choice to fill the vacant seat on the Supreme Court if she is elected president in November.
During a conference call with Iowa reporters, Grassley said that the Senate has a “responsibility” to consider the nominee chosen by the winner of the election.
“We have the same responsibility for Trump,” Grassley said, adding that he would categorize Trump’s potential nominees as “strict constructionists” as opposed to Clinton’s preference for “judicial activists.”
Grassley went on to cite his rationale for refusing to confirm President Barack Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, to the Supreme Court.
He reiterated that he wants the next president to fill the seat left empty by the late Justice Antonin Scalia, but added that he would be open to working with whichever candidate wins in November: “If that new president happens to be Hillary, we can’t just simply stonewall.”
On Monday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said in a radio interview that congressional Republicans would be “united” against Clinton’s Supreme Court nominee if she was elected.
His office later walked those comments back in a statement, saying that “of course” McCain would vote on any Supreme Court nominee put forward by the next president.
Does anyone have the Vegas odds of the senate deciding to confirm Garland between the election and January 20th?
So like no case in U.S. history, the Senate Republicans decided that it was too late in Obama’s presidency for him to have the right to pick a nominee for a vacancy on SCOTUS.
It’s Obama’s fault that Scalia didn’t die a few months earlier.
Thanks Obama!
Obama: You dont say.
If the Republicans keep control of the Senate there are two results possible should Clinton win. Hillary nominates a right leaning centrist that garners enough Republican support to be confirmed. This will thoroughly piss off every liberal, progressive and Democrat that fought to get her elected, meaning there’s a good chance she doesn’t go that route. Or she nominates someone easily identified as a jurist the Republican Senate won’t touch with a ten foot pole. In which case SCOTUS steadily dwindles down to the the 6 Justice quorum mandated by law to conduct business.
Grassley: (McConnell whispers in his ear) Actually, there’s no precedent for not stonewalling a female PotUS, so we can pretty much do whatever we feel like.