The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
Leaders in Hawaii are speaking out and telling Senate Republicans to do their job.
Across the state, Hawaiians continue to speak out against Senate Republicans’ refusal to do their job and give Judge Garland a hearing and vote. From elected officials to local newspapers, voices across Hawaii are supporting Senators Schatz and Hirono as they call to keep partisanship out of the Supreme Court—and to give Judge Garland a fair hearing and a timely vote.
Maui News: Give Garland a hearing (Editorial). “Republican senators are making a mistake by not scheduling hearings on President Barack Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland. Garland is currently the chief judge on the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From everything we have read, Garland is a true moderate … Our point is that the court could use more moderates. Strict ideologues do not reflect what we believe the court should be about. The merits of individual cases - not ideology - should guide the outcome. We can't imagine Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton making a better pick. The Republicans may live to regret it if they don't give a moderate like Garland a fair hearing.”
Sen. Brian Schatz: “Chief Judge Merrick B. Garland has the legal expertise, independent mind, and extensive experience as a former top official in the Justice Department and as the current Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit that would make him an excellent addition to the Supreme Court. Chief Judge Garland is widely respected by legal experts from across the political spectrum and has a real shot at earning bipartisan support in the Senate. It’s time to end the political gamesmanship and do the job that the American people elected us to do. The president has nominated a well-qualified candidate for the Supreme Court; we now must get back to the business of governing, fulfill our constitutional obligation, and restore the Supreme Court to its full strength. I look forward to an in-depth review of the nominee’s qualifications and a fair hearing and vote in the Senate.”
