The Senate Should Do Its Job

Statement

The political gamesmanship with President Obama's Supreme Court nomination has reached a fevered pitch recently with both sides refusing to give an inch. Senate Democrats have even gone so far as to announce they would hold "mock" hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, the president's nominee.

What we are seeing right now with this Supreme Court nomination is partisan politics at its worst on both sides of the aisle. It is the epitome of what is wrong with Washington and one of the reasons the American people are sick and tired of career politicians in Washington DC.

President Obama and Democrats are complaining now but they did the same thing in the past. In fact, President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Senator Chuck Schumer all publicly stated that the Senate should reject nominees from then-President Bush in 2007. It was wrong then and is still wrong today.

We need to be fair to the American people and fair to the justice system. For starters, Senators should not refuse to even meet with the president's Supreme Court nominee. I have always had an open door policy in Annapolis and will continue that policy when I'm in the Senate, whether I agree with them or not. This should especially apply when we are talking about a nominee to the highest court in the land. Washington has become so partisan that politicians retreat to their political corners and refuse to even listen to the other side anymore. It's completely counterproductive and only creates more Washington gridlock.

Take Congressman Van Hollen on this issue, for example. As far as I know, he has never met with Merrick Garland nor has he participated in a hearing where he can get all of the important information on Garland. But because the leaders of his political party back Garland's nomination, Congressman Van Hollen has come out in full support of approving his nomination -- proving he cares more about supporting his political party than the people of Maryland. This is just as unhealthy as some Senators refusing to even consider Garland simply because he was nominated by the opposing party. That is not the way this is supposed to work. A Supreme Court nominee should be given a fair hearing and should either be approved or rejected based on their merits. An automatic rubber stamp of yes or no based on your political allegiance is not good governing.

That is why I believe that the Senate should hold hearings and at the very least have an up or down vote in committee on Garland's confirmation. If certain Senators do not think Garland is qualified, they can vote against his confirmation. But he should be given a fair hearing and a fair shot.

Marylanders are tired of the political gamesmanship in Washington. They want an independent voice in Congress that puts representing the people of our state above party politics, not another career politician that simply toes the party line.

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