MEUSER STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT VACANCY

POTTSVILLE, Pa. – Today, Congressman Dan Meuser (PA-09) released the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy following the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

"One of the most important responsibilities of the presidency and the Senate is to nominate and confirm qualified judges to the federal bench. The American people gave Republicans a direct mandate when they elected a Republican President in 2016 and expanded the Republican Senate Majority in 2018. They expect President Trump's forthcoming Supreme Court nominee to receive hearings and a confirmation vote before the 2020 election. The Constitution makes clear that the Senate has every right to do so, and precedent would support this decision.

"For well over a century, no Senate has confirmed an opposing party's Supreme Court nominee during a presidential election year. When a vacancy has arisen while the White House and the Senate were controlled by the same party, as is presently the case, the Senate has confirmed the nominee in more than a dozen instances. Leading Democrats, including Vice President Biden, have waffled on this issue, changing their position to support their party's ideological agenda. In filling the current vacancy on the Supreme Court, President Trump and Republicans will fulfill the promise they have made to the people who elected them; our judicial system will be led by originalists who fairly interpret the law as it was written, not in pursuit of an outcome to support their personal beliefs."