Tester statement on SCOTUS nominee

(U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the President nominated Merrick Garland, Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to fill the open seat on the United States Supreme Court:

“It’s now time for the Senate to fulfill its constitutional responsibility and do its job. I look forward to meeting with Judge Garland and reviewing his credentials to ensure he will uphold the Constitution. I urge my Senate colleagues to put aside politics, roll up their sleeves, and start governing like the American people deserve.”

Tester has stated numerous times that Senators are certainly allowed to vote “no” on the nominee if the candidate is not qualified, but refusing to hold a hearing or vote on the matter is a dereliction of their Constitutional responsibility.

The U.S. Constitution clearly states in Article II, Section 2, “[The President] shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint…Judges of the Supreme Court.”