HARRISBURG (September 21, 2020) – As Americans head to the polls to cast their votes, the leaders of the CLEAR Coalition today called on Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) to honor his commitment, made in 2016, that nominations to the U.S. Supreme Court should not occur in the heat of a national election and so that, in his words, “… it makes sense to give the American people a more direct say in this critical decision.”
“Senator Toomey’s position was unequivocal in 2016. He addressed the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court several times and, each time, he repeated his belief that nominations to the Supreme Court should not occur in the closing months of a national election,” said David Fillman, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 13 and a co-founder of the CLEAR Coalition. “This year, Americans are already voting. Senator Toomey’s position allows for only one conclusion: the voters should be heard and the Senate should wait for their decision.”
On February 15, 2016, nine months before the election, Senator Toomey stated: “Given that we are already well into the presidential election process and that the Supreme Court appointment is for a lifetime, it makes sense to give the American people a more direct say in this critical decision.”
On March 16, 2016, Senator Toomey issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court :
“With the U.S. Supreme Court’s balance at stake, and with the presidential election fewer than eight months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice. Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination, as I have done with dozens of judges submitted by President Obama.”
In April, 2016, in a lengthy column published at Pennlive.com, Senator Toomey yet again clearly stated his position that , writing that:
“First, the balance of the Supreme Court is at stake, and we have an election right around the corner. With lifetime tenure, the next justice will determine the Court’s balance for a generation. In that light, I believe it is sensible to allow the American people to participate in the choice of Justice Scalia’s successor less than seven months from now.” (emphasis added) . . . These concerns, in addition to my preference for giving the American people a voice in November about the long-term balance of the Court, lead me to oppose his nomination at this time.”
“Pennsylvanians are watching, and they understand Senator Toomey’s position. There is no gray area or need for any interpretation. We are urging Senator Toomey to honor his own word,” said Steve Catanese, President of SEIU Local 668. “If he believed, in 2016, that ‘… it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice…’ he cannot credibly believe that the voice of every American has somehow diminished in the past four years.”
The CLEAR Coalition represents more than 900,000 Pennsylvanians who work in the public sector. For more information, please CLICK HERE.