Weekly Address: It’s Time to Fill the Vacancy on the Supreme Court

[cal04]

Source: White House

In this week's address, retired Federal Judge Timothy Lewis joined Vice President Joe Biden to discuss the nomination of Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Vice President talked about his experience as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, during which every nominee got a hearing and an up or down vote on the Senate floor. Despite having more federal judicial experience than any other Supreme Court nominee in history, Chief Judge Garland’s nomination has now been pending longer than any other Supreme Court nominee who wasn’t withdrawn from consideration.

Judge Lewis emphasized that this lack of action is preventing the Supreme Court from fulfilling its duty of interpreting the law and resolving conflicts in the lower courts. The Vice President made clear that for the sake of our Nation, everyone must do their job. That's why the President did his job by nominating Chief Judge Merrick Garland. Now, it's time for the Senate Republicans to do their job.

Read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/07/30/weekly-address-its-time-fill-vacancy-supreme-court

[bucolic_frolic]

1. This isn't about the vacancy

it's about GOP attempts to invalidate the U.S. Constitution

[athena]

2. They are making a mockery of the system.

No wonder Trump is their representative as a party.

[Chemisse]

3. If this appointment doesn't go through,

I hope Hillary appoints someone far more liberal.

[Ligyron]

5. Exactly

[freebrew]

14. That's also what I hope...

maybe someone friendlier to labor....

[mackdaddy]

4. If the Senate will not do its job, they should not be Paid! n/t

[awoke_in_2003]

12. Including the dems...

If they aren't tslking about this every time they are in front of a camera, then they are aiding republicans.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Have to keep hammering at this

and make sure that in addition to winning the Presidency, we take back the Senate so that we can start breaking the logjam. We still face that 60-vote threshold but if we control the Senate, then WE can control the calendar, and get the up or down votes.

Thanks for posting and was glad when I listened this morning, that the SCOTUS issue was resurrected!

[HereSince1628]

7. Wouldn't making the appointment weaken the 'we must elect because of SCOTUS argument'

Right know we have a 1.0 probability of replacing a justice.

The highest probability for losing a justice to illness or death is about 0.33 and because of younger healthier justices on the court, that actually ranges down to about 0.08. But for the sake of this argument lets consider all the justices share the highest risk

The joint likelihood of needing to replace the vacancy and one more justices is about 33%. Needing a third justice because of illness or death would involve another .33 probability So the joint probability of the Scalia replacement pluse 2 is 1 x .33 x .33. or roughly 10%. That isn't a huge thing but 1 in 10 for a significant office is significant because of it's importance.

If the Scalia seat is filled, the argument that the next president will appoint 3 justices goes to .33 x .33 x .33. or about 3% which IMO is no longer above the general background risk and isn't compelling.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. Nope

Over the next 4 years at leat 2 more will need to be replaced.

[Dustlawyer]

8. We don't need a Merrick Garland, we need some more RBG's!

We need to appoint someone with a plaintiff lawyer's or civil rights background. No more nominees with a corporate or financial background. Someone who represented citizens of this country, not institutions!

[uawchild]

9. Yes, the Rethugs obstruction is almost a blessing in disguise

When Clinton is elected and Democrats re-take control of the Senate, a much more liberal prospective Justice can be nominated.

We won't be shackled trying to find a watered down "moderate" that the current Republican controlled Senate might deign to appoint.

The joke is on the Rethugs. lol

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. yes!

[ffr]

11. We the people have lost interest in America

We could protest Mitch McConnell. We could attempt to get him impeached. We could do a lot of things, but I think one of the main reasons you don't see a lot of people putting forth the effort to pressure their senators, is because it won't do any good. Republicans only listen to their special interest donors, not the people they represent. And they sure as hell don't give two shits about the U.S. Constitution.

At this stage of republican gridlock, we need an enforcement mechanism to compel them to do their jobs. Something that would either have them lose their right to vote and their vote in relation to others and/or hard labor prison sentences for their unwillingness to do the job they're paid to do. Shaming, protesting, and other legal means would all seem to have failed against the republican tyrants in control of our government.

Republicans are grifters and criminals. And they're robbing us of our democracy and our time on this Earth.