Supreme Court Nomination
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey took his view that the next president should pick Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s replacement a step further on Thursday, saying that the U.S. Senate should not hold confirmation hearings on any nominee picked by President Obama.
The Founding Fathers whom conservatives are so fond of deferring to left no doubt how this was supposed to work. The president offers a nominee to fill the vacancy, the Senate explores his or her credentials and decides whether to consent to the appointment.
In a recent interview, Toomey downplayed concerns about leaving a court seat open for roughly a year, and the potential for gridlock on the court.
He told the AP: “It’s not that big a deal.”
It is a big deal.
According to the Congressional Research Service, the average number of days from nomination to final Senate vote since 1975 is 67 days. President Obama still has over 300 days in his 2nd term. The NY Times has published a very informative graphic about Supreme Court nominations and the length of the nomination process.
The Supreme Court has a full docket for this year.
A few of the Important Issues being decided include:
- Union Rights
- Women’s Access to Health Care
- Voting Rights
- Access to Birth Control
More info on these cases and issues in this article from the National Constitution Center.
Do you think decisions about these issues are “No Big Deal“?
Take Action. Contact Senator Toomey and urge him to “Do His Job” or join with “MoveOn” in their petition drive urging “Senate: Do your job”.
