Senate Democrats spent much of 2016 pressuring Republicans to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat before voters could have a chance to have their say. Well now that the election is over and the people have spoken, Democrats have a chance to prove their rhetoric wasn’t just political showmanship.
Predictably, with President Trump due to announce his nominee to fill Antonin Scalia’s seat this evening, Senate Democrats are already failing to put politics aside and honor the will of voters. Before a nominee has even been announced, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is bowing to pressure from the far left, led by Elizabeth Warren and Socialist Bernie Sanders, and threatening to keep the ninth Supreme Court seat open for the next four years.
“With their blind opposition, Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats are proving that they are only interested in quick judicial confirmations when a Democrat is in the White House,” said NRSC Communications Director Katie Martin. “The election is over. It’s time for Senate Democrats to stop complaining and prove that their Supreme Court rhetoric wasn’t purely political.”
Let’s take a walk down memory lane to when Senate Democrats wanted to vote on Supreme Court nominees:
In April 2016, Elizabeth Warren Said “If [Republicans] Won’t Do Their Job, The People Need To Replace Them With Democrats Who Will—It’s All About Accountability.” (“Don’t Let GOP’s Antics Downplay Importance Of Supreme Court Justice Nomination Process,” Washington Informer, p. 27, Vol. 51, No. 26, 4/7/16)
In March 2016, Donnelly Said “I Hope My Senate Colleagues Will Do Their Jobs And Meet With Judge Garland … And Then Hold Hearings And An Up Or Down Vote On His Nomination.” “Part of my job as a Senator is to meet with and thoroughly consider judicial nominees. I hope my Senate colleagues will do their jobs and meet with Judge Garland, ask him questions, learn about his record and his temperament, and then hold hearings and an up or down vote on his nomination.” (Sen. Joe Donnelly, “Donnelly Meets With Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland,” Press Release, 3/28/16)
In March 2016, Claire McCaskill Said That She Was “Appalled That Senate Republican Are Ignoring The Constitution And Refusing To Do Their Job. Hold A Hearing, For Gosh Sakes, And Then Vote.” “Claire: Since Supreme Court nominee hearings began in 1916, every nominee’s received a hearing, or been confirmed within days. I’m appalled that Senate Republicans are ignoring the Constitution and refusing to do their job. Hold a hearing, for gosh sakes, and then vote.” (Sen. Claire McCaskill, Facebook Post, 3/16/16)
In April 2016, Heidi Heitkamp Wrote An Op-Ed Calling For The Senate To “Do Its Job” By Meeting With, Holding A Hearing On, And Voting On Merrick Garland’s Nomination To The Supreme Court, And Labeled The Senate’s Inaction As “Politics At Its Worst.” “The U.S. Senate also needs to do its job. That means meeting with the President’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, holding a public hearing on him, and holding an up or down vote in the Senate. At that time, any senator is free to vote against the nominee. Since public confirmation hearings began, the Senate has never denied a U.S. Supreme Court nominee a hearing and a vote. We cannot allow this moment to be the first time…Sadly, some senators who claim to want the Senate to work are now blocking that progress by refusing to fully consider the Supreme Court nominee. It’s politics at its worst. And they are shirking their responsibility by failing to do their jobs.” (Senator Heidi Heitkamp, “The U.S. Senate Has To Do Its Job, Just As North Dakotans Do,” The Wahpeton Daily News, 4/8/16)
In April 2016, Sherrod Brown Called The Senate’s Refusal To “Do Its Job” By Voting On Merrick Garland “Reprehensible.” “He called the fact that Senate Republicans have balked at taking up Garland’s nomination ‘reprehensible.’ ‘Never in history has a person been nominated Supreme Court Justice and the Senate just absolutely refused to do its job,’ he said. He said the last time a Supreme Court position remained vacant for a year — as it would be if no justice is appointed until the next president takes office — was 150 years ago. That was because of the Civil War.” (Jessica Wehrman, “Sherrod Brown Says He’ll Back Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland,” The Columbus Dispatch, 4/8/16)
In April 2016, Bob Casey Told Republicans “Do Your Job. It’s As Simple As That.” “In March, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, called on Senate Republicans to ‘end the obstruction’ and give Supreme Court nominees a fair hearing and a timely vote. Casey has one message for his Republican colleagues in the U.S. Senate. ‘Do your job,’ he said. ‘It’s as simple as that.’ Casey said the U.S. Constitution provides a simple and clear path to nominate a Supreme Court candidate.” (Bill O’Boyle, “Legislators Clash On President Obama’s Nominee For Supreme Court,” The Times Leader, 4/15/16)
In March 2016, Tammy Baldwin Said That “Senate Republicans Need To Do Their Job And Provide Judge Garland A Hearing And An Up-Or-Down Vote.” “Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, urged the Senate to hold hearings “in the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation.” ‘To ignore this nomination is wrong and irresponsible,’ Baldwin said. ‘Senate Republicans need to do their job and provide Judge Garland a hearing and an up-or-down vote. I believe the American people deserve to have a full and functioning Supreme Court working for them.’” (“Johnson, Baldwin Disagree Over Supreme Court Nominee,” Associated Press, 3/16/16)
In March 2016, Joe Manchin Said “We Have a Responsibility To Do Our Jobs As Elected Officials.” ‘I look forward to evaluating Merrick Garland’s qualifications to be a justice on the Supreme Court. Senators have a constitutional obligation to advise and consent on a nominee to fill this Supreme Court vacancy and, simply put, we have a responsibility to do our jobs as elected officials. I believe the Senate must give Merrick Garland fair consideration and evaluate his record, legal qualifications and judicial philosophy.” (Senator Joe Manchin, “Manchin Statement On President’s Supreme Court Nominee,” Press Release, 3/16/16)
In March 2016, Debbie Stabenow Tweeted “Millions Of Americans Do Their Job Each Day. Senators Should NOT Be Held To A Different Standard. #Doyourjob” (Senator Debbie Stabenow, Twitter, 3/17/16)