Timing of Supreme Court Nominations

 

One of the big problems facing most politicians today is their past. It keeps interfering with what they want to say today. If they make a pronouncement today and if they had an opposing view in the past, it will be found and then played over and over again. Did the person really change their view, or are they just being politically expedient? I guess the answer to that question lies in your degree of cynicism.

We are going to see this in spades (probably politically incorrect term) over the issue of the nomination of a new Justice to the Supreme Court.

It's a shame that this has to happen. For the life of me I can't understand the logic of having a sitting Congress not vote on a replacement judge for this important position during the last year of a president's term. Should her/she not be allowed to make any decisions during his/her last year.? Perhaps they should just take the last year off?

I do agree with the notion that Congress needs sufficient time to consider such a heavy and meaningful matter as choosing a Justice to the Supreme Court.

In today’s world, many traditions are falling by the wayside. It’s time for the traditional “Lame duck session” of congress to end as well. After all we elected our Senators for 48 months, not 46. Yes I know all the arguments, but they simply don’t ring true to me.  You see, each election cycle, most incumbents win re-election; well over 85% of Senators get re-elected each cycle.  A few retire, others just lose they have fallen out of favor with their constituency. 

The real reason for the infamous lame duck session is so congress can be home for the holidays.  Don’t you wish you got weeks off for Christmas and Thanksgiving?

Let’s abolish the whole concept of the “lame duck session”. The Senate can work this season just like the rest of us. Two days off for Thanksgiving and two off for Christmas…that’s it! ( I know that many Americans don’t even get that. But they are, after all, privileged.)

Equally sickening is this concept of, upon the death of a member of the Supreme Court, a new one should not be confirmed in an election year.  What nonsense! We, the people, expect the Senate and the president to their job during their tenure in office.

Regrettably, both parties, due to their political shenanigan’s in years gone by have made this issue a horrible mess.  Let’s just fix it by stating this: upon the death of a Supreme Court justice, the president shall nominate a new judge within fifteen days and a new one shall be confirmed by the Senate within forty-five calendar days after the nomination, or the President’s nominee shall be automatically confirmed. Should the passing of the justice occur after November 1 in an election year, no nomination shall be made by the sitting president.