Let the people have a voice
The American people elected a Republican Senate in the last election.
The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the court and our country for a generation, and the American people deserve a voice in such a momentous decision. This fair and reasonable approach is what Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and I announced weeks ago and reiterated personally to the president.
Our determination to allow the American people to have a voice has always been about a principle, not a person. It’s called the “Biden Rule.” As Vice President Biden said when he was Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, “Once the political season is under way, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over.” That, he said, “is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process.”
The American people elected a Republican Senate in the last election. Where the two parties can’t agree we’ve served as a check-and-balance to the president, but where the two parties can agree we’ve repeatedly sought common ground to get things done.
The Republican Senate has reached across the aisle to pass legislation to help end the opioid and heroin epidemic, enact permanent tax relief for families, repair America’s roads and bridges, and advance other measures.
Let’s not allow partisan fighting on one issue to prevent the Senate from addressing other priorities, such as our economy and national security. Instead, let’s focus on where we can agree.
The American people may well elect a president who decides to renominate Judge Garland. The next president may also nominate someone very different. Either way, we can continue to work on legislative solutions, and the American people can continue the national conversation about the type of justice who should serve on the Supreme Court.
The Senate can then appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the person the next president — whoever that might be — nominates.
That’s a fair approach. That’s a reasonable compromise. That’s the best way forward for our country now.
By: Mitch McConnell
Source: USA Today
Related Issues: Supreme Court, Nominations
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