McConnell Joins Call To Delay Confirmation Of Scalia’s Successor

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2016 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. State and local governments would be permanently barred from taxing access to the Internet u... FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2016 file photo, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. State and local governments would be permanently barred from taxing access to the Internet under a bipartisan compromise the Senate began pushing toward final congressional approval. McConnell said Thursday, Feb. 11, 2016, the measure would relieve people of “the worry that their Internet access is being taxed.” (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
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Following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Saturday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined conservatives who were calling for a delay in confirming Scalia’s replacement until after the next President is elected.

“The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,” McConnell said in a statement released Saturday evening. “Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”

McConnell also praised Scalia’s commitment to the Constitution and offered condolences to the justice’s family.

“Justice Scalia’s fidelity to the Constitution was rivaled only by the love of his family: his wife Maureen his nine children, and his many grandchildren,” McConnell added. “Through the sheer force of his intellect and his legendary wit, this giant of American jurisprudence almost singlehandedly revived an approach to constitutional interpretation that prioritized the text and original meaning‎ of the Constitution. Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Scalia family.”

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  1. Avatar for bkmn bkmn says:

    The American public already made their choice - twice - and that is why Obama is the President, dear head asshat of the GOP.

  2. How long does it take for a body to grow cold?

  3. Fascinating. So McConnell says that the American people – who twice elected Obama – should “have a voice” in the selection of Scalia’s replacement. And we can infer that when he says that the vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President, he presumably means a new Republican President. So what happens if Clinton or Sanders wins? If the Senate remains in Republican hands, will we have to wait until the next Presidential election? And exactly when does a President’s term end? Is it at the beginning of primary season? On election day? Because I’m old enough to remember when a President’s term lasted until Inauguration day…

  4. “The American people‎ should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice,"

    They did, you colossal asshole. Twice.

  5. Avatar for beccam beccam says:

    And if it’s a Democrat in the White House and the Dems control the Senate, what then, McConnell?

    At that point, you’ll be throwing embolisms over the fact you COULD have had a centrist compromise justice rather than whomever Clinton or Sanders nominates.

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