America loses with court vacancy

[ffr]

A couple of former White House counsels — one to Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, one to George W. Bush — came to Des Moines, Iowa, last week to warn about not having a fully functioning U.S. Supreme Court. It had been 77 days since Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Yet Iowa's Charles Grassley, heads of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, refuses to hold hearings on the nominee.

Neither counsel had regard for Grassley. Nor did Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller; the director of Drake University's constitutional law center; or the political science professor who summarized the event. Seldom are legal experts so unanimous.

Grassley, a Republican who has served 41 years in Congress, has launched an unprecedented obstruction of Senate procedures, reasoning that Obama has no right to make an appointment. Miller said, "We thought we had elected him to a four-year term, but he only got a three-year term in terms of appointing people to the U.S. Supreme Court."

A Democrat currently representing Iowa's Republican administration, Miller said the Senate Republican majority is de facto amending the U.S. Constitution. Mark Kende, who directs the Constitutional Law Center at Drake Law School, was blunter. "Grassley is not working with or fulfilling his judiciary duties," he said.

Calling Grassley an "extreme activist" who is "unworthy of the Senate," Richard Painter, former assistant counsel to Bush, said, "I've been involved with the Republican Party for many years, and this is a disaster."

<snip>

Dysfunctional court: Panelists agreed that with eight members, resulting in split decisions, the court will just take up the easier cases while major ones such as affirmative action, immigration and contraceptive coverage by religious employers go undecided.

<snip>

"We are undermining the legitimacy of the judicial system by not allowing it to function," said Rachel Caulfield, a Drake associate political science professor, urging citizens to speak out.

<snip>
- Timesrecordnews.com 06/09/16

Rekha Basu is a columnist for the Des Moines Register

Republicans control the House of Representatives, the Senate, make rules and hold hearings.
More republican inaction on SCOTUS.

Humiliate republicans anywhere and everywhere for giving us this scourge on America. GOTV for democrats in 2016! Sweep the GOP out of office on every level. We need democrats elected to make our government work again. This is our battle cry!

[yeoman6987]

1. The Founders never would have expected this I am sure

I bet if they could go back in time, they would instead of advise and consent, they would put mandatory vote. No way the founders would have thought this was a good thing going on right now.

[PoliticAverse]

2. They didn't even specify the number of justices on the court.

Until 1807 there were only 6 justices on the court.

[ffr]

3. Right!? I wake up every morning thinking, what won't get done today

I have to work. Why doesn't congress have to do the same?

I hate our one republican rubberstamp senator. He's a prime example of why I want to picket in the streets.