President Barack Obama was greeted with silence as he met with the leaders of Senate Republicans on Tuesday to argue about filling the vacant seat on the Supreme Court. Democrats in the rooms said the meeting failed to move forward.
The US president, who plans to name a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia in the coming weeks, came together with Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Neither President Obama nor Vice-President Joe Biden made any remarks after the huddle.
Senator Harry Reid said the Republicans were 'adamant' and would not welcome any nominees from Obama's administration, says Reuters. "They think they are going to wait and see what President Trump will do, I guess, as far as the nomination is concerned," said Sen. Harry Reid.
The Huffington Post reported that Republican Senators will continue to deny a confirmation hearing to any person nominated by President Obama to serve on the US Supreme Court. The obstruction of nominees aims to fill the highest court with conservative justices who will roll back the progress that the country has made, from reproductive rights to marriage equality.
According to The Guardian, Patrick Leahy said Obama argued to Republicans that they have a constitutional duty to review and confirm a nominee. Sen. Leahy reiterated that the Republicans have taken a solemn oath before God to uphold the constitution and to stop trying to politicize the Supreme Court.
The meeting fell short in producing any progress on how to proceed with finding a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Grassley and McConnell insisted that the president should not pick a nominee and leave the decision to his successor who shall take office next January after the US presidential election on November 8.
Meanwhile, Obama still believes that though the meeting failed, it was worthwhile to consult with the lawmakers before making his nomination. Obama said in the meeting that he is willing to consider nominees for the Supreme Court proposed by the Republicans, however, Grassley and McConnell offered no names.
Under the US Constitution, the president nominates Supreme Court justices and the Senate must then confirm them. The death of Scalia left the court with four liberal and four conservative justices. Any potential nominee could change the behavior of the court.
