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What They're Saying in Nevada about the Supreme Court Nomination

Summary: 
Leaders in Nevada are speaking out and telling Senate Republicans to do their job.

Across the state, Nevadans continue to speak out against Senate Republicans’ refusal to do their job and give Judge Garland a hearing and vote. From high school teachers, to local newspapers, to business leaders, Nevada voices have sounded a disappointed tone in Senator Heller’s decision to inject partisanship into the Supreme Court and in his refusal to carry out certain parts of his job for partisan gain. They have asked Senator Heller to follow Senator Reid’s lead, and support hearings and a vote for Judge Garland.

Las Vegas Sun: Tillie Torres: Students can’t ignore their responsibilities; why can Congress? (Op-Ed). “But at least the students show up. I can’t say the same for the Republicans who run the Senate and are acting like schoolkids or worse. Like schoolyard bullies, they are refusing to hold a hearing or schedule a vote by the full Senate on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland for the U.S. Supreme Court. Most won’t even meet with him. My message to Nevada’s Republican senator, Dean Heller, and to the party leaders he is faithfully following is simple: Deal with it. Do your job.”

News Review: Heller Stalls (Editorial). “This is the same Merrick Garland who was approved by most Senate Republicans to become a U.S. Court of Appeals judge in 1997.  Heller claims he supports the process: ‘I’ve been clear that I believe the American people deserve the opportunity to have their voice heard in selecting the next Supreme Court justice. When the people make that choice, I’m ready to proceed.’  Well, the public chose the president twice, and he has now nominated a justice. When is Heller going to re-introduce his bill to include supreme court nominations among duties senators must perform to get paid? He says he believes the process should go forward, and he now has the chance to embarrass his own party’s leaders into doing their jobs. It’s his move. How’s that for bipartisan?”

Las Vegas Sun: Senate obligated to consider Supreme Court nominee (Editorial). “The very people who — for pandering purposes — brag about carrying the Constitution with them at all times should take the document out of their pockets and actually read it. No one says they have to vote for the nominee. But the Constitution does say a co-equal branch of government should have nine justices, and these folks have the solemn obligation to participate in the process that protects the one branch of government that is supposed to be above politics. We would have hoped Senate Republicans would not have tried to bully Obama into walking away from the duties of his constitutional role. Republicans can’t have it both ways. They have sworn to uphold the Constitution. That means allowing the president to fulfill his responsibility and for them as senators to follow suit.”

Kevin Haner, Owner of Haner Construction: “The undue delays on important issues such as the Affordable Care Act, Planned Parenthood, and Citizens United put the flow of capital in the country at risk, which in turn keeps my clientele from making their improvement investments in their homes and businesses. The country needs stability as we correct ourselves from the recent Great Recession, and the Supreme Court vacancy undermines that stability.”