Utah Sen. Mike Lee: Judiciary Committee Won’t Give Garland SCOTUS Hearing

Utah Sen. Mike Lee
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah. File photo by Gary I. Rothstein/UPI

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 16, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Moments after Pres. Barack Obama announced Judge Merrick Garland as his nominee for the United States Supreme Court on Wednesday, Utah Sen. Mike Lee did a Fox News interview promising to block Garland’s hearing for the position.

“Look, we’ve made it clear,” Lee told Fox host Bill Hemmer. “All the republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have made clear that this is a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land to fill a seat previously filled by a judicial icon, Antonin Scalia.

“We think the American people need a chance to weigh in on this issue, on who will fill that seat. They’ll have that chance this November, and they ought to have that chance.”

Lee, a member of the committee, said he doesn’t know much about Garland.

“I know a few things about him,” Lee said. “… But that really isn’t the point here. The point here doesn’t have nearly as much to do with who the president nominated.

Obama Names Supreme Court
Washington DC Circuit Court Chief Judge Merrick Garland Photo UPI

“It has entirely to do with the fact that we’re in a presidential year, and since 1888 that a Senate controlled by a party different than the party occupying the White House has confirmed a vacancy that arose to the Supreme Court that arose during a presidential election year.”

Lee said the earliest Garland could hypothetically be approved would be May, when the Supreme Court be nearly out of session. It would be back in session in October, when the election for a new president would be a month away, Lee said.

“We think the American people need a chance to weigh in on this issue, on who will fill that seat,” Lee said. “They’ll have that chance this November, and they ought to have that chance.”

So the Senate Judiciary Committee won’t be allowing a hearing for Garland, or anyone else Obama might have nominated, Lee said.

“We’re sticking to our plan that we outlined a few weeks ago.”

2 COMMENTS

  1. This is another case of laziness on the part of our “Representatives”. Where is the harm in having a hearing for this nominee? It’s just another case of childish behavior. If your not part of my party I’m not going to agree with anything you suggest (GROW UP). No matter how little this will effect the cases waiting to be heard it still slows down the process for important legal issues and the people of this country deserve better than that. How would they feel if they had a case waiting to be heard and this was going on.
    I’ve had dealings with Sen. Mike Lee and I can state this guy has no idea of what it means to “Represent” the people that elected him to office. In my opinion he need s to be voted out and replaced by someone that understands the responsibility that comes with being an elected official.

  2. He is violating the law by obstructing the commander in chief…
    Yet another tactic by the GOP to stone wall the President of the United States….
    His, and the party he represents , actions are un-American and indeed have treasonous motives behind them.
    Is it because of race?
    Ignorance?
    Childishness?
    Selfishness?
    Does this party not care about the voice of the people?
    If they did then they would conceed to the decisions made by the leader of the free world.
    This party is an embarrasment to the nation with the stone wall tactics towards the twice elected President, it is cowardice and treason in the highest form.

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