Vice President Joe Biden said during a Thursday interview with “PBS Newshour” that the Senate should hold hearings on President-elect Trump’s eventual Supreme Court nominees.
Biden stopped short of telling Democrats to confirm Trump’s pick, but stated its the constitutional “responsibility” of the Senate to offer their advice and at least hold a vote.
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“I think they should, look the Constitution says the president shall nominate — not maybe could, maybe can — he shall nominate,” the vice president stated. “Implicit in the Constitution is that the Senate will act on its constitutional responsibility and give its advice and consent.”
Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a roundtable on the Cancer Moonshot Initiative as comedian Jon Stewart looks on December 13, 2016 at Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“No one is required to vote for the nominee, but they, in my view, are required to give the nominee a hearing and a vote,” he continued. “It’s been my policy since I was in the United States Senate, and I’ve presided over more Supreme Court nominees than anyone in history, anyone living.”
“Never once — even the ones I disagreed with — were they denied a hearing.”
Biden’s comments break from those made by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier in the week. (VIDEO: Schumer Says He’ll Fight ‘Tooth And Nail’ To Keep SCOTUS Seat Vacant)
Schumer told reporters on the Hill that he and Senate Democrats will fight President-elect Trump “tooth and nail” for the entirety of his tenure in office.