Judge Merrick Garland is a qualified candidate.
Since the unfortunate passing of Justice Scalia, Senate Republicans have declared that they will not hold hearings on President Obama’s nomination for the Supreme Court.
Now that we have an eminently qualified nominee in Judge Merrick Garland, the political games need to stop. An extended vacancy could lead to some major consequences to important issues currently on the docket, including clean energy.
The American people deserve a full Supreme Court to rule on the critical issues of the day, including the president’s Clean Power Plan, immigration reform, voting rights and reproductive rights. The recent stay of the Clean Power Plan by the Supreme Court made clear just how much power the court has in determining our energy future. With Judge Garland, we have someone with a strong record of standing up for our environment. It is imperative that a fair hearing occurs so that the president and Senate both fulfill their Constitutional mandate.
On March 30, I’ll take part in a Day of Action to call on Senator Portman to support confirmation hearings for a new Supreme Court Justice. Our country doesn’t deserve to suffer with an incomplete Supreme Court due to partisan squabbling. Senator Portman should not stand in the way of progress and our country’s efforts to build a healthier, more sustainable and secure economy for our future. He needs to do his job.
Levi Brown is a freshman studying political science at Ohio University.
