Former Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Monday gave a nod to President Donald Trump's decision to move forward with a Supreme Court nominee. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the Senate will vote on a replacement for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg relatively quickly.
According to Grassley, the decision is up to Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham and Leader McConnell, both who have said they agree with calling the nomination to a vote.
"Over the years, and as recently as July, I've consistently said that taking up and evaluating a nominee in 2020 would be a decision for the current chairman of the Judiciary Committee and the Senate Majority Leader [Mitch McConnell]. Both have confirmed their intentions to move forward, so that's what will happen," Grassley said in a statement. "Once the hearings are underway, it's my responsibility to evaluate the nominee on the merits, just as I always have."
"The Constitution gives the Senate that authority, and the American people's voices in the most recent election couldn't be clearer. While there was ambiguity about the American people's will for the direction of the Supreme Court in 2016 under a divided government, there is no ambiguity in 2020," he concluded.
Grassley stated the American people chose Republicans to hold control of the Senate in 2016, "the body tasked with evaluating the President's nominees to the court," a clear indication that the country "reaffirmed their support" for Trump.
He slammed Democrats, saying it was their party who upended tradition by trying to "hijack the judiciary." He specifically cited President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork, President George W. Bush's nomination of Miguel Estrada, and, most recently, the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"From torching the filibuster to threatening justices who rule against their wishes, Senate Democrats have a long, sordid history of politicizing the courts and the confirmation process. Even before the current vacancy, Democrats discussed plans to pack the Supreme Court and eliminate the legislative filibuster, just because they can't get the results they want at the polls," Grassley explained.
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