The fate of Merrick Garland’s nomination as U.S. Supreme Court justice is in the hands of the U.S. Senate. President Barack Obama announced his nominee Wednesday. Garland has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for nearly two decades.
Republicans want to delay confirmation, in hopes that a Republican is elected president and will nominate a conservative justice.
Mike Louis with the Missouri AFL-CIO says Republicans should not be holding the court vacancy hostage.
“That would mean a new justice would not be confirmed until deep into 2017, at the earliest. This could force the Supreme Court to weigh decisions for two terms under a 4-4 split, which invites mass judicial uncertainty for Americans and businesses,” said Louis.
“It would be left up to the lower courts to give the final word on cases that impact millions of Americans. Tying the hands of the high court for two terms, which invariably undermines the rule of law and leaves many important legal questions unresolved.”
Nimrod Chapel with the Missouri NAACP says Garland deserves consideration.
“It’s pretty obvious that somebody with these kinds of qualifications who’s made it to the Court of Appeals and served there for almost two decades is unquestionably qualified for the job,” said Chapel.
“Republicans even agree. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, the longest serving Republican on the Senate Judiciary committee, has offered his suggestion for who President Obama should nominate. It was Merrick Garland.”
If the U.S. Senate confirms the nomination, Garland would replace the late Antonin Scalia.
