WASHINGTON–Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a delay in the confirmation process of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court Tuesday morning.
“It is unseemly to be moving forward so fast on confirming a Supreme Court justice so fast with a lifetime appointment while this big grey cloud of an FBI investigation hangs over the presidency,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor.
Schumer: It is unseemly to be moving forward on #SCOTUS nominee with cloud of FBI investigation hanging over @POTUS
RT if you agree pic.twitter.com/ib4DETV3Ma
— Matt House (@mattwhouse) March 21, 2017
“You can bet if the shoe were on the other foot and a Democratic president was under investigation by the FBI the Republicans would be howling at the moon about filling a Supreme Court seat in such circumstances,” he said.
Schumer told The Daily Caller Tuesday that he does not have a number as to how many Democrats would support the idea supporting delaying Gorsuch, but said, “My view is very simple. And that is that there is a cloud hanging over the head of the president and while that’s happening to have a lifetime appointment made by this president seems very unseemly and there ought to be a delay.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley appeared to have no intention of slowing down Gorsuch’s confirmation hearing, which was taking place on Capitol Hill Tuesday, describing Schumer’s demand as “ridiculous.”
Senate Democratic Judiciary Committee member Richard Blumenthal told reporters he would support a postponement of Gorsuch saying, “I think we should delay to take into account all the available information.”
“I haven’t actually talked with anybody about that. I’m just going to let the hearings get done and then just let the merits of the case break on how I think he has done or if he is in the mainstream,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said of postponing Gorsuch.
Schumer reiterated that not one Democratic Senator has volunteered support for Gorsuch and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters Tuesday that the lack of Democratic support shows that any Republican Supreme Court nominee would have difficulty earning 60 votes in the present day Senate.
“If Judge Gorsuch can’t achieve 60 votes in the Senate, could any judge appointed by a Republican president be approved with 60 or more votes in the Senate?” McConnell asked.