It’s been 86 days since Merrick Garland was nominated to the Supreme Court, and Senate Republicans continue to block that nomination from even receiving a hearing. Garland Watch is a regular look at the week in Garland news and Senate obstruction.
The GOP’s unyielding obstructionism of the Supreme Court nominee may have reached a new apex. Late last Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, speaking to a crowd of Trump supporters, announced the following:
Let me say this once more, and let me say it clearly: Barack Obama will not get a Supreme Court justice in the 11th hour of his presidency on the way out the door.
In finally revealing his blatant political motivations for obstructing Garland, McConnell abandoned the guise of a politician protecting the ‘voice of the American people’ and took on the more fitting role of a preschooler with a vendetta against the president.
In a statement released on Monday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren roundly scolded McConnell and his Senate followers for obstruction stretching back to well before Garland was nominated:
The idea that Senate Republicans are willing to leave [the Supreme Court] short-handed for nearly a year seems shocking…But the fact is that, for more than seven years, they have waged an unrelenting campaign to keep key positions throughout government empty.
Warren’s indignation was echoed by the Editorial Board of the New York Times in an op-ed printed on Thursday. The piece labeled the GOP blockade of Garland as “shameful” and warned Republicans “not to be surprised if come November, the voters choose representatives who actually do their job.”
Unfortunately all of this criticism has had little effect on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Three hearings were held this week, which of course had nothing to do with Garland. These hearings were on the following topics: Deadly Synthetic Drugs, The Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, and The H-2B Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Garland is scheduled to deliver his second commencement speech later this month at J.O. Wilson High School. For the past several years Garland has been tutoring two graduating fifth-graders—this year’s graduating students are Vernell Garvin and Jenifer Morales Garcia. Garvin has nothing but good words for the Supreme Court nominee: “When I have problems with my math homework, he’ll help me with that…He’s a very good person.” The nominee is scheduled to speak on June 15— the theme of the commencement ceremony is: “If you dream you can do it.”
