Washington,
February 25, 2016
|
Mary Carpenter
(202-834-0386)
Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (Ga-01) joined colleagues in the United States House of Representatives in sending a letter led by Congressman Barry Loudermilk (Ga-11) to Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) requesting that the Senate postpones any confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice until after the inauguration of our next president.
"The nomination of the next Supreme Court Justice has the potential to have a bigger impact on our nation than the presidential election," Carter said. "The American people deserve to make this critical decision and that can only be done after they choose the next President of the United States. In the coming months and years, the Supreme Court will make decisions on issues that will have an impact on all Americans and I am proud to join my colleagues in calling on Senator McConnell to postpone the confirmation of any Supreme Court Justice until we have new leadership in the White House."
Full text of the letter to Senator McConnell:
Dear Senator McConnell,
The tragic death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on February 13, 2016 has not only left a vacancy on the bench of the nation’s highest court, it has ushered in a time of great decision for you and the members of the Senate. The passing of this great scholar has shrouded America in mourning, and as one of the last originalists in our judicial branch, this vacancy will undoubtedly be extremely difficult to fill. The Senate is now faced with the Constitutional responsibility to confirm a potential successor – one armed with the highest integrity, exemplary character, and most noble commitment to the pursuit of justice within the confines of the limited powers prescribed to the judicial branch by our Constitution.
This is a time of great deliberation for our nation as culturally, we are facing an era of determining the legal basis of our greatest congressional priorities: civil rights, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to privacy, government responsibility, the balance of power, and the very right to life itself.
While some argue that this untimely vacancy creates a Constitutional crisis between the executive and legislative branches, we believe that our nation has already been in such a crisis, evidenced by frequent acts of executive overreach by the administration.
It is undeniable that the critical decisions facing our nation’s highest court will have a lasting impact on future generations of Americans. And whereas Congress has made it a priority to reestablish the balance of Constitutional authority, we must not be rushed into this critical decision for political expediency, nor for the sake of the President’s political legacy.
Therefore, we the undersigned stand with you in your commitment to postpone any confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice until after the inauguration of our next President. Your forethought to allow the nation to pause, assess, and elect a new President has rightfully given voice to the people, to whom we are responsible as elected officials.
