President Obama Wednesday nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Both of Alaska’s U.S. senators issued written statements reaffirming their support for the Senate’s Republican leaders, who are refusing to hold a hearing or a vote on the nominee.
Sen. Dan Sullivan says blocking the nominee’s advance is about principle, not the individual. Sullivan says Alaskans deserve to have a say in who is selected, through their vote for president in November.
Murkowski says, with a divisive election season underway, any nominee is likely to become a “political football.”
Democrats counter that, until the next executive is sworn in, President Obama is the person voters chose to fill Supreme Court vacancies.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
