Georgia’s U.S. senators say no to considering President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee

WASHINGTON — President Obama on Wednesday nominated Judge Merrick Garland, a Clinton-appointee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court, but Georgia’s U.S. senators are staying resolute against considering the nomination.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue, a Republican who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday he has not changed his mind from February when he, committee Chair Chuck Grassley and other GOP committee members informed Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell that they would not take up any nomination sent by Obama.

“The Constitution is clear: the president shall nominate judges to the Supreme Court, but the power to grant, or withhold, consent of such nominees rests exclusively with the United States Senate,” Perdue said. “What’s at stake here is the balance of our nation’s highest court and the direction of our country for decades.

“I remain firm in my decision to exercise my Constitutional authority and withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by President Obama.”

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, said he continues to believe the winner of November’s presidential election should make the high court pick.

“As U.S. senators,” Georgia’s senior senator said, “we have the constitutional obligation of advice and consent to the president’s nominations. I take this role very seriously because an appointment to the Supreme Court has a significant and lasting impact on the future of the Court and on our nation.

“The Constitution gives the responsibility of Supreme Court appointments to two branches of government, not just one. As a senator who has the duty of advice and consent, I believe the American people should have a voice in this process by allowing the next president to select and the next Senate to confirm Justice Scalia’s replacement.”

Isakson cited the position against considering an election year high court nominee that Vice President Joe Biden took when he was a senator.

“I agree,” Isakson said, “with what Vice President Biden said when he was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee: ‘It would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is under way — and it is — action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over. That is what is fair to the nominee and is central to the process. Otherwise, it seems to me we will be in deep trouble as an institution.’”