In Judiciary Meeting, Hatch Challenges "Absurd Claims"

Press Release

Senator Orrin Hatch, a senior member and former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, insisted today that the Senate should wait until after the presidential election to confirm Justice Antonin Scalia's replacement to the Supreme Court.

In a Judiciary Committee hearing this morning, Senator Hatch asserted that the decision to withhold Supreme Court confirmations in a presidential election year is in keeping with historical precedent. In support of this position, he cited speeches from Democrat and Republican Senators alike. Senator Hatch also dispelled factually inaccurate claims about judicial nominations and once again affirmed the Senate's independent role in the confirmation process. According to Hatch, "The Constitution gives the nomination power to the President and the advice and consent power to the Senate. The Constitution does not tell either the President or the Senate how to exercise their power."

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