Mikulski Calls on Senate to Hold Hearings and Vote on President’s Supreme Court Nominee
U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski is calling on the Senate to hold hearings and to vote on President Barack Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court.
Read her statement, below:
“U.S. President Barack Obama fulfilled his Constitutional duty today in submitting to the Senate his nominee to the Supreme Court, well-respected D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Chief Judge Merrick Garland.
“Now, the Senate must perform its duty and do our jobs as mandated by the Constitution. I urge my colleagues to do their jobs by following the Constitution and living up to the Constitution. So let’s open our doors to meet with his nominee. Let’s hold a hearing. Finally, let’s hold a vote on the Senate floor.
“I plan to do the job that I was elected to do by the people of Maryland. I am ready to do my job and follow the process. When evaluating Supreme Court nominees, I have always used three criteria: are they competent and appropriately credentialed? Do they possess the highest personal and professional integrity? Will they protect and preserve the core Constitutional values and guarantees central to our system of government, specifically the freedoms of speech and religion, equal protection of the laws and the right to privacy?
“Merrick Garland has served on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals since 1997, and as Chief Judge since 2013. His career has been consistent and unfailing in his public service. Chief Judge Garland previously served as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, prosecuting the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, and supervising the Unabomber case. He also served as the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and was a partner at Arnold & Porter, one of the largest law firms in the world. He has served with honor, and a sense of duty to his country.
“I look forward to meeting Chief Judge Garland and getting to know him better. I will evaluate his credentials and render an independent judgement. My vote will reflect my commitment to core Constitutional principles.
“President Obama is our president until January 20, 2017. The Constitution states his job is to provide nominees to the Senate to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court. The Constitution does not give a time limit on being President, where once you reach a certain point, you can no longer do your job. The word ‘delay’ does not appear in the Constitution. It says the President has four full years.
“So I say to my Senate colleagues, let’s be accountable by our deeds and not avoid our Constitutional duty.”
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