Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and 20 Attorneys General Sign Letter to Majority Leader McConnell and Senator Reid Urging the U.S. Senate to Act Promptly to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy

Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov

LOS ANGELES – Attorney General Kamala D. Harris today, along with Attorneys General from 19 states, and the District of Columbia, sent a letter to United States Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), urging the Senate to act promptly to consider a nominee to fill the United States Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death.

“The President has a constitutional responsibility to nominate a qualified candidate to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, and the Senate has the responsibility to consider that nominee without undue delay,” stated Attorney General Harris.  “The failure to act due to political motivations would be a blatant disregard for one of the Senate’s most important Constitutional responsibilities.”

“The States [and territories] have a unique and pressing interest in a full and functioning Supreme Court,” states the letter.  “We rely on the Supreme Court to resolve questions of federal law, to resolve disputes between the States, to evaluate the constitutionality of State laws, and to ensure that federal and constitutional law are interpreted and applied uniformly across all States [and territories]. The Supreme Court not only resolves disputes that implicate States’ vital interests, it often does so in closely divided cases.”

“We urge the Senate to carry out its responsibilities by allowing for full consideration of a qualified nominee to the Supreme Court and confirming such a nominee without unnecessary delay.”

A copy of the letter is attached to the electronic version of this release at oag.ca.gov/news.

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