Subject: Constitutional Responsibility Project Releases First TV Ad, New Pennsylvania Poll, and Announces Major Recess Activities
From: Natalie Raps <[email-masked]>
To: Natalie Raps <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2016 16:38:50 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2016
Contact: Natalie Raps, [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Constitutional Responsibility Project Releases First TV Ad, New Pennsylvania Poll, and Announces Major Recess Activities

Sen. Toomey's Refusal to Do His Job Puts Large Block of Swing Voters in Play, New Pennsylvania Ad Buy Puts Spotlight on Sen. Toomey's Obstruction and CRP Launches Supreme Court Obstruction Tour

Washington, DC - Today, the Constitutional Responsibility Project released its first television ad. The 30-second spot<https://youtu.be/HieGSD__sPI> showcases Sen. Pat Toomey's (R-PA) unprecedented refusal to consider any Supreme Court nominee and calls on Sen. Toomey to put the Constitution before his politics. The ad will air in the Philadelphia media market over the Senate recess.

In addition, the Constitutional Responsibility Project, in conjunction with the League of Conservation Voters, released a new survey of Pennsylvania voters conducted by Hart Research. The survey found that Pennsylvania voters are paying close attention to the news about the Supreme Court vacancy, support giving Judge Garland a hearing and an up-or-down vote, and strongly disapprove of the positon Senate Republican leadership has taken on this matter. In addition, support grows for confirming Judge Garland once voters learn more about his background. Finally, while voters were largely unaware of Sen. Pat Toomey's decision to follow GOP leadership in opposing a hearing for Merrick Garland, when they learned of his inaction voters were substantially less likely to vote for Toomey.

A full memo from Hart Research Associates outlining the survey's findings and polling method can be found HERE<http://weneednine.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/WN9-PA.pdf>.

Key findings from the Constitutional Responsibility Project and the League of Conservation Voters survey include:

  *   By a margin of 56 percent to 37 percent, Pennsylvania voters say the Senate should hold hearings and give Chief Judge Garland an up-or-down-vote.
     *   Independent voters agree with this position by an event larger margin - 60 percent to 36 percent.
  *   After voters hear the pros and cons on Senator Toomey's positon on the Supreme Court vacancy, feelings toward him become notably less favorable.
     *   Independents move from a small net positive view of Toomey (24 percent positive, 18 percent negative) to a large net negative opinion of him (24 percent positive, 50 percent negative).
  *   At the start of the survey, 43 percent of voters said they were inclined to vote for Senator Toomey over his Democratic challenger. After being told about his stance on Judge Garland's nomination, 46 percent of voters said they are less likely to support Senator Toomey.
  *   16 percent of voters said they would be more open to voting for the Democratic challenger as a result of Senator Toomey's opposition to hearings and a vote for Judge Garland.

"The results of this survey show that Sen. Pat Toomey is badly out of step with his state on the question of whether the Senate should consider the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland," said Geoff Garin, President of Hart Research Associates. "He is particularly at odds with Pennsylvania's independent voters, who are likely to hold the balance of power in this November's elections. If Sen. Toomey continues his partisan stance, it is likely to swing many voters to his Democratic challenger and endanger his re-election chances."

"This poll shows that Pennsylvanians strongly believe that Senator Toomey and others must give the president's nominee both a fair hearing and a timely vote, and LCV members couldn't agree more.  Nearly 150,000 of them have signed a petition calling on the Senate to do its job, including nearly 5,000 in Pennsylvania alone," said Tiernan Sittenfeld, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, League of Conservation Voters. "There is clearly a well-funded and radical opposition hell-bent on ensuring that Senator Toomey and other obstructionists stay the course, but we will continue to engage in this Supreme Court vacancy fight in a far bigger way than ever before because the stakes have never been higher for climate change and so many other critically important issues."

"Despite widespread disapproval from his constituents, Sen. Toomey is still willing to follow Mitch McConnell's lead and deny Chief Judge Garland - an exceptionally qualified nominee by any standard - the fair hearing and up-or-down vote he deserves. Our new ad will help remind voters that Senator Toomey is playing politics with Constitution instead of doing his job," said Stephanie Cutter of the Constitutional Responsibility Project. "This ad is just one of element our recess campaign, which will include more than 50 events in Pennsylvania and eight other states."

As the Senate enters a weeklong recess, the Constitutional Responsibility Project, in coordination with Americans United for Change and other coalition partners, will launch a mobile billboard campaign across nine states over nine days to showcase the need for nine Supreme Court justices. From April 30 to May 8, the campaign will hold over 50 events taking place in Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and will rally voters who are tired of their Senator's refusal to live up to their constitutional responsibilities and give Chief Judge Garland a fair hearing and up-or-down vote.
<https://youtu.be/HieGSD__sPI><https://youtu.be/HieGSD__sPI>
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"Pennsylvanians want you to consider him on the merits, then vote. In other words, do your job - or voters will elect someone who will."
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
March 30, 2016

"Toomey still balking on high court vote"
Philly.com
April 12, 2016

"Despite the fact that Judge Garland is a former prosecutor who has been tough on criminal justice and earned the past praise of Republicans,"
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
March 30, 2016

"Mr. Toomey and his GOP colleagues are pursuing a brazenly political gambit. "
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
March 30, 2016

Narrator:
The constitution says the President shall make nominations for the Supreme Court and the senate votes.

No exception for election years

Why is Pat Toomey refusing to do the job Pennsylvania elected him to do?
http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2016/03/30/Test-for-Toomey-Do-your-job-or-voters-will-elect-a-senator-who-will/stories/201603310066

Toomey refuses to consider anyone President Obama nominates
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20160406_Toomey_still_balking_on_high_court_vote.html

Even a former prosecutor with more experience than any other nominee - with bipartisan support.

But Toomey is choosing his party's leaders - and playing politics with the Supreme Court.

Call Senator Toomey and tell him to put the Constitution before his politics

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