Press Releases

Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) and House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice Ranking Member Steve Cohen (D-TN) released the following statement after President Obama announced D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Merrick Garland as nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court:

“Fulfilling his constitutional duty to nominate justices to the Supreme Court, President Obama has nominated Chief Judge Merrick Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.  The Senate should now fulfill its responsibility by giving its full and fair consideration to the President’s nomination.

"Judge Garland is an eminently seasoned jurist who has all the qualities that make him an upstanding nominee for the Supreme Court.  His unquestioned intellect, long judicial experience, and even temperament are widely admired and respected.  His deep respect for and fidelity to the Constitution and the law and his sensitivity to the impact of the law on ordinary people make him an optimal choice.

"Leaving a vacancy on the Supreme Court for a prolonged period would be irresponsible. Such a prolonged vacancy would impair the Supreme Court’s ability to fulfill its role and leave many critical constitutional and legal questions subject to only lower-level court review.

"The American people twice elected President Obama to fulfill the duties of the presidency, including the duty to nominate Supreme Court justices.  President Obama has fulfilled that duty, and now it is incumbent upon the Senate to give Judge Garland a fair hearing and an up-or-down vote. It is what the American people deserve and expect of their elected officials.”