W.H.: Senate GOP Has ‘Constitutional Responsibility’ to ‘Consider’ SCOTUS Nominee

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
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EARNEST: “Well, obviously the president has been hard at work in making the decision about the best person to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. As we’ve discussed, the president and his team consulted a wide of individuals and organizations of both sides of the aisle. Every Senate office was contacted by the White House to consult about potential nominees. The president had multiple conversations with Democrats and Republicans on the Senate judiciary committee. About this decision. And it’s only recently that the president made a final decision on this. But it certainly reflected a lot of work and extensive call consultation among legal experts and members of the Senate on both sides of the aisle. As it relates to Chief Judge Garland, I’m not aware of any reticence on his part to accept this significant responsibility. It certainly — I don’t think anybody detected any reticence about that based on the public comments he delivered this morning in the Rose Garden.”
REPORTER: “Are you seeing any sign of a breakthrough with the Republicans that they’ll at least consider a confirmation hearing? Is there a plan B?”
EARNEST: “I think there’s a constitutional responsibility that members of the united States Senate have to consider the president’s nominee to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. It’s as simple as that. This is a case that we have been making for weeks now. And I think the case that we have, that the Senate should fulfill their constitutional responsibility is only strengthened now that it’s clear how seriously the president considered his constitutional responsibility. He considered a wide range of candidates, and he chose the person that he believes is the best person in America to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court. There’s a reason that the last time that chief judge Garland faced a confirmation vote in the United States Senate, that he got the support of a majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans in that vote. That was 19 years ago. But in that 19 years, he has laid — blazed a trail of a judge who understands that his chief responsibility is to interpret the law, not advance a political agenda. And that’s why we believe the Senate should fulfill their responsibilities. And it certainly is not appropriate for anybody in the United States Senate to suggest that they’re going to use politics as an excuse to not do their job.”