Subject: Today from the Constitutional Responsibility Project
From: Sam Michel <[email-masked]>
To: Sam Michel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 20 May 2016 21:24:36 +0000

Today in the fight for a full and functioning Supreme Court: People For the American Way and the Constitutional Accountability Center release a new report detailing the consequences of an eight-member Supreme Court, civics teachers give Senate Republicans a lesson on the Constitution, and we wrap up comments from editorial boards and Democratic Senators who continue to praise Chief Judge Garland, a nominee with the most judicial experience of anyone ever nominated, and call for an up-or-down vote on his nomination.

New Report Details Consequences of an Eight-Member Supreme Court.
Today, People For the American Way and the Constitutional Accountability Center released a report, "Material Harm to Our System of Justice: The Consequences of an Eight-Member Supreme Court", analyzing the harm a short-handed Supreme Court already has done and will continue to do to the American judicial system. Read the full report HERE<http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/material-harm-our-system-justice-consequences-eight-member-supreme-court-0>.

Elizabeth Wydra, Constitutional Accountability Center President: "The virus of dysfunction afflicting the Senate is showing symptoms at the Court, and the prospect of this blockade extending from the current Term into the next is outrageous. Former Justices have spoken on the need for a fully staffed Court, including former Chief Justice Rehnquist and even Justice Scalia in years past, as well as former Justices Stevens and O'Connor in recent weeks. As today's report explains, an understaffed Court is hamstrung by its inability to fully perform its essential role in resolving important constitutional and legal questions for the American people."

Elliot Mincberg, People For the American Way Foundation Senior Fellow: "The current obstruction that President Obama's Supreme Court nominee Judge Garland is facing is unprecedented, and there are real consequences for the American people because of this obstruction. Current and former Supreme Court justices - including Scalia, Roberts, and Rehnquist - have detailed the reasons why the Court needs nine members to properly execute its duties. From 4-4 splits that fail to set national precedent to potentially blocking the Court's ability to protect voting rights, an eight-member Supreme Court simply cannot function as it should."

History and social studies teachers come to Washington to give Senate Republicans a civics lesson.
On Wednesday, a group of civics teachers traveled to Washington to tell the Senate GOP to do its job and give Chief Judge Garland a hearing and an up-or-down vote.

Marisol García, middle school teacher, Phoenix, Arizona: "Students understand expectations, and they don't understand why senators aren't meeting theirs."

Patrick Chambers, AP History teacher, Indianapolis, Indiana: "The people already decided when they elected the president. Our constitution is too sacred and too trusted to be dragged into partisan politics. It's a process that been used for years and years." [Education Votes, 5/19/16<http://educationvotes.nea.org/2016/05/19/civics-teachers-come-to-washington-tell-senate-do-your-job/>]

GOP senators should stop dithering on hearing for Merrick Garland as Supreme Court justice
The editorial board of the Kansas City Star<http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article78644512.html> writes:

"Their stark message: To hell with the Constitution, separation of powers and any semblance of cooperation. Properly undeterred, Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a highly qualified, moderate judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia and former prosecutor....Roberts, Moran and Blunt should step up, be leaders of their frazzled party and call for a vote. Instead they toe the misguided GOP line. Now is the time to show respect for the Constitution and the public by holding a hearing and a vote. We find it difficult to imagine how our states' Republican senators could honestly object to Garland as not qualified to serve."

Senators continue to praise Chief Judge Garland and call for their GOP colleagues to do their jobs and allow for a fair hearing and up-or-down vote.

Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI): [Chief Judge Garland] is supremely well-qualified...the American people deserve a fair, public hearing and a fully functioning government."[ABC 6, 5/17/16<http://www.abc6.com/story/31996187/reed-high-court-nominee-garland-supremely-well-qualified>]

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA): "The refusal to consider any Supreme Court nominee forwarded by President Obama in his final year in office, when other Presidents were granted consideration of their nominees, seems highly suspicious to them. When that blockade is maintained even after the President forwards to the Senate a nominee of sterling credentials, the suspicion is heightened."[Sen. Kaine press release, 5/17/16<http://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-on-obstruction-of-president-obamas-supreme-court-nominee-we-cannot-blind-ourselves-to-how-our-actions-are-perceived>]

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR): "It is clear to me from my conversation with Chief Judge Garland that he is a detail-oriented and highly-qualified jurist. He would bring decades of legal experience and a great deal of thoughtfulness to his work as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. President Obama has done his job in putting forward an extremely qualified nominee. Now it is time for Senate Republicans to do theirs and to hold hearings and a vote on his nomination, as the Constitution requires."[Sen. Merkley press release, 5/19/16<https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/photo/video-release-merkley-meets-with-supreme-court-nominee-merrick-garland>]

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI): "Judge Garland's character and record of judicial service are impressive, and Americans deserve to hear from him in a public Judiciary Committee hearing...it's far past time for my Republican colleagues to do their job by holding a hearing and vote on the nomination." [Honolulu Civil Beat, 5/18/16<http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/05/judge-garland-impressive-says-hirono/>]

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): "There's no excuse for the Senate not doing its job. I don't think senators should leave town. I don't even think senators should be paid if they're not doing their job...senators are working fewer hours and still getting paid." [WKSU, 5/18/16<http://wksu.org/post/brown-wants-cancel-senates-summer-recess-unless-garland-gets-hearing#stream/0>]

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): "Never before in the history of the United States has a Congress shown this level of disrespect to a president of to a nominee. I think this has really dangerous precedential effects for the future." [Hartford Courant, 5/18/16<http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-garland-confirmation-pressure-20160518-story.html>]

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): "I have known Merrick Garland for many years, and I deeply admire him as an incredibly scholarly and smart jurist, a dedicated and effective prosecutor, and a decent and good man. I hope the American people have an opportunity to see and hear Judge Garland as I did today, because there will be no question that he deserves a hearing and vote." [Hartford Courant, 5/18/16<http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-garland-confirmation-pressure-20160518-story.html>]

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