Blumenthal Says ‘Keep Your Word,’ Ignores What He Said In 2016

Blumenthal In 2016: ‘It Is Our Obligation To Advise And Consent On The President’s Nominee,’ ‘Lack Of A Ninth Justice Diminishes And In Many Respects Even Disables The Court’

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT), 2016: “I reject the notion that the Senate’s refusal to act, as laid out in no uncertain terms by our Republican colleagues, fulfills our constitutional obligation. It is our obligation to advise and consent on the President’s nominee. We ‘shall’ do so. That is the constitutional mandate--not when it is politically convenient, not when we think it is advantageous, but when the President nominates, whoever the President is …” (Sen. Blumenthal, Congressional Record, S.2857, 5/17/2016)

• BLUMENTHAL, 2016: “Today, congressional Republicans, very frankly, hamper the ability of the Supreme Court to answer important legal questions of our time by refusing to hold even a hearing or a vote … Their doing so has left the bench of the Supreme Court with only eight Justices. That lack of a ninth Justice diminishes and in many respects even disables the Court, as we saw just yesterday in a decision that might well have been decided otherwise if there had been nine Justices to give a majority to one point of view or another.” (Sen. Blumenthal, Congressional Record, S.2857, 5/17/2016)

In September 2016, Blumenthal And 42 Other Democrats Introduced A Resolution Saying The Senate Should ‘Not Leave Town … Until We Have Provided A Hearing And A Vote On The Pending Supreme Court Nomination’

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT), 2016: “I am proud to submit today, along with 42 of my Democratic colleagues, including Senator Leahy of Vermont, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, along with my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, a resolution that says to the Senate of the United States: Do not leave town for a recess until we have provided a hearing and a vote on the pending Supreme Court nomination. Do not leave town without doing your job. Do not leave town without fulfilling your constitutional duty to advise and consent. That is what we should be doing…. it essentially says the President has the obligation to nominate. We have the obligation to advise and consent. We have done so in past years. We should do so now…. Let’s do our job and avoid the self-inflicted damage to our democracy that will result from our leaving without upholding our constitutional duty.” (Sen. Blumenthal, Congressional Record, S.6118, 9/27/2016)

“Today [September 27, 2016], U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led Democratic Senators in calling for a hearing and a vote on the nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland before adjourning for another… scheduled recess.” (Sen. Blumenthal, Press Release, 9/27/2016)

S.Res.581 - No Vote No Recess Resolution (S.Res.581, 114^th Congress)

• “Today’s resolution is cosponsored by: U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), U.S. Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE), U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA), U.S. Senator Christopher Coons (D-DE), U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly (D-IN), U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO), U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), U.S. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI), U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT), U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM), U.S. Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).” (Sen. Blumenthal, Press Release, 9/27/2016)