Schumer: GOP Should Follow McConnell Precedent, No SCOTUS Vote In ’18

on February 15, 2017 in Washington, DC.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 15: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) points to a reporter as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, looks on at a press conference after ... WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 15: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) points to a reporter as Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, looks on at a press conference after an emergency Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on February 15, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Following the resignation of National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, questions about ties between President Trump's team and Russian intelligence agents mounted Wednesday as news of extensive contacts between the two were reported. Democrats and some Republicans are calling for an investigation into Trump's links to Russia. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday urged Republicans to follow Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) 2016 precedent and wait until after upcoming elections to consider a nominee to fill retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat.

“Our Republican colleagues in the Senate should follow the rule they set in 2016 not to consider a Supreme Court justice in an election year,” he said. “Sen. McConnell would tell anyone who listened that the Senate had the right to advise and consent, and that was every bit as important as the President’s right to nominate. Millions of people are just months away from determining the senators who should vote to confirm or reject the President’s nominee, and their voices deserve to be heard now as Leader McConnell thought they should deserve to be heard then.”

Anything but that would be the absolute height of hypocrisy,” he added.

In 2016, McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nominee to fill late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat, Merrick Garland. Instead, the seat was held open for months following Garland’s March 2016 nomination, until President Donald Trump had assumed office and nominated Neil Gorsuch for the seat.

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Notable Replies

  1. Yeah, like that will work.

  2. “Anything but that would be the absolute height of hypocrisy,” he added.

    Sorry Senator Schumer, Republicans consider their hypocrisy a feature, not a bug.

  3. It’s cute that he thinks they’ll have any such intellectual consistency.
    #NotBloodyLikely

  4. let the marches for that begin. Im IN. People Resist Persist

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