Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday compared Senate Republicans’ calls to block President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee to the government shutdown in 2013.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” Schumer told reporters on a press call. “When the hard right doesn’t get its way, their immediate reaction is shut it down, and Sen. McConnell marches in lockstep.”
“That’s what happened in 2013 when the Republican leadership tried to shut down the government. They’re doing it today with their attempts to shut down the Supreme Court,” Schumer continued. “But just as in 2013, when there was a huge public outcry and Sen. McConnell had to back off, the same will happen now. Sen. McConnell will have to back off.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) echoed Schumer’s comments on the call while describing how the American public is reacting to Republican calls to block any nominee.
“The outrage and outcry against shutting down the Supreme Court in effect is motivated by all the feelings that were prompted by shutting down the government,” Blumenthal said.
“And this stance by the Republicans epitomizes what people regard as the worst characteristic of Washington today, which is partisan paralysis and gridlock,” he continued. “The game-playing and blame-gaming that people find so abhorrent in Washington today is reflected in this stance by our Republican colleagues.”
Both senators expressed confidence that Senate Republicans will have to relent and allow a confirmation process eventually.
“We’re already see in the Republican coalition, which seemed unified the day Sen. McConnell announced his desire to prevent hearings and a vote on any nominee the president would offer, we’re seeing that coalition begin to crack,” Schumer said, citing the few Republican senators who have expressed some willingness to take a vote on Obama’s nominee.
“I believe that we will be able to have hearings and get a vote,” Schumer continued. “It’s gonna be deja vu all over again for our friends on the other side of the aisle. Same thing that happened — they tried to shut down the government, they did for a few weeks, but had to back off without achieving their goals.”
Blumenthal said he believes that Republicans “must and will relent.”
