FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2016
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Senate Republicans Break World Record for Longest Delay of a Supreme Court Nominee
NARAL Pro-Choice America today submitted an official petition for Sen. Chuck Grassley and his Republican Senate colleagues to be recognized as Guinness World Record-holders for the longest delay of Supreme Court confirmation process in history. The letter, which is available HERE, comes 125 days after President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland for confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. This ties the previous record for the longest delay in a confirmation process, set back in 1916 during the confirmation of Justice Louis Brandeis. While Senate Republicans have claimed their record-breaking obstructionism has not been motivated by a political agenda, leaked audio from Senate Judiciary Chair Grassley confirms that their strategy has really been about limiting access to abortion all along.
“Senate Republicans are in a league of their own when it comes to obstructing the constitutional process,” said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “Their refusal to even hold a hearing to fill the vacancy on our nation’s highest court sets a new standard in the petty politics of obstruction. Throughout this process, Senate Republicans have made clear that they have the wrong priorities. Instead of doing their job, Senate Republicans are obstructing the constitutional process so that Donald Trump can make the next appointment to the Supreme Court. It’s time for Senate Republicans to stop putting their party’s interests ahead of their constitutional duties.”
Today’s actions are part of NARAL’s continuing efforts to push Senate Republicans to #DoYourJob and fill the Supreme Court vacancy. In May, NARAL went up with new statewide radio ads in four states targeting Senate Republicans who are refusing to even hold a hearing and a vote to fill the vacancy on our nation’s highest court. This followed TV ads that NARAL ran against Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) questioning her misplaced priorities. When Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) made clear that he would refuse to even hold a hearing on President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, NARAL followed him around Iowa with a Ben Franklin impersonator telling him that the constitution is clear and that it’s time for Grassley to #DoYourJob. Grassley later admitted, in leaked audio, that the GOP strategy of obstructing the nomination process has really been about limiting access to abortion all along.
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