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Obama op-ed: Inaction on Merrick Garland nomination is 'an unprecedented escalation'

President Barack Obama sees a slippery slope in the Senate’s inaction on his Supreme Court nominee.

In an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Obama says the consequences of refusing an up-or-down vote on nominee Merrick Garland “could weaken our most important institutions, erode public trust and undermine our democracy.”

Failing to vote on Garland and future Supreme Court nominees in “an endless cycle of political retaliation” would leave important legal questions unanswered and would make Americans more cynical about democracy, Obama says.

Every Supreme Court nominee since 1875 who hasn’t withdrawn received a hearing or a vote, Obama says. That occurred even if the nominee was controversial. Garland, on the other hand, isn’t controversial, Obama says. He is well-respected by both parties and has “unimpeachable qualifications,” Obama writes.

“The partisan decision of Senate Republicans to deny a hearing to a judge who has served his country with honor and dignity is not just an insult to a good man—it is an unprecedented escalation of the stakes,” Obama says.

Obama proposes that both Democrats and Republicans agree to give Garland a Senate hearing when Congress returns from recess, while also agreeing to give every future Supreme Court nominee who is qualified a hearing and a vote within an established time frame.

“This reasonable proposal would prevent the confirmation process from breaking down beyond repair, and help restore good faith between the two parties,” Obama says.

Hat tip to How Appealing.