Quotes by Senator John Cornyn on Supreme Court Nominations
#JohnCornyn 3/16/16: "The American people deserve to have a say in the selection of the next lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court." » #Cornyn 9/21/20: "Just as the Senate has always done, we will thoroughly review the qualifications." Click To Tweet
Quotes by Senator John Cornyn on Supreme Court Nominations
THEN
2016

Judiciary Committee Republicans to McConnell: No Hearings on Supreme Court Nomination
Feb 23, 2016
“Dear Majority Leader McConnell,
“As we write, we are in the midst of a great national debate over the course our country will take in the coming years. The Presidential election is well underway. Americans have already begun to cast their votes. As we mourn the tragic loss of Justice Antonin Scalia, and celebrate his life’s work, the American people are presented with an exceedingly rare opportunity to decide, in a very real and concrete way, the direction the Court will take over the next generation. We believe The People should have this opportunity.
“Over the last few days, much has been written about the constitutional power to fill Supreme Court vacancies, a great deal of it inaccurate. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution is clear. The President may nominate judges of the Supreme Court. But the power to grant, or withhold, consent to such nominees rests exclusively with the United States Senate. This is not a difficult or novel constitutional question. As Minority Leader Harry Reid observed in 2005, ‘The duties of the Senate are set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Nowhere in that document does it say the Senate has a duty to give the Presidential nominees a vote. It says appointments shall be made with the advice and consent of the Senate. That is very different than saying every nominee receives a vote.’
“We intend to exercise the constitutional power granted the Senate under Article II, Section 2 to ensure the American people are not deprived of the opportunity to engage in a full and robust debate over the type of jurist they wish to decide some of the most critical issues of our time. Not since 1932 has the Senate confirmed in a presidential election year a Supreme Court nominee to a vacancy arising in that year. And it is necessary to go even further back — to 1888 — in order to find an election year nominee who was nominated and confirmed under divided government, as we have now.
“Accordingly, given the particular circumstances under which this vacancy arises, we wish to inform you of our intention to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill Justice Scalia’s vacancy. Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this Committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next President is sworn in on January 20, 2017.”
Sincerely,
Chuck Grassley
Orrin Hatch
Jeff Sessions
Lindsey Graham
John Cornyn
Mike Lee
Ted Cruz
Jeff Flake
David Vitter
David Perdue
Thom Tillis
- Feb 23, 2016
Office of US Senator Lindsey Graham, Feb 23, 2016
Graham: No Hearing, No Vote On Obama Supreme Court Nominee
___________
- Feb 23, 2016
National Public Radio, Feb 23, 2016
Senate Republicans Agree To Block Obama's Supreme Court Nominee
- March 16, 2016
National Public Radio, March 16, 2016
McConnell: Blocking Supreme Court Nomination 'About A Principle, Not A Person'
#JohnCornyn 3/16/16: "The only way to empower the American people and ensure they have a voice is for the next President to make the nomination." » #Cornyn 9/21/20: "The Senate will vote on that nominee sometime this year." Click To Tweet
NOW
2020

Sept 21, 2020 -
Office of Senator John Cornyn, Sept 21, 2020
Cornyn on Process for Filling Supreme Court Vacancy Left By Justice Ginsburg