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A project tracking federal judicial nominations and courts.

Nominees

Merrick B. Garland

Supreme Court of the United States
Returned to President January 3, 2017

To fill the Supreme Court vacancy, President Obama nominated Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Merrick B. Garland on March 16, 2016.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) refused to allow a hearing on Garland's nomination and it was returned to the President on January 3, 2017.

PRESS RELEASE: MERRICK GARLAND: MORE THAN 300 EDITORIAL BOARDS FROM EVERY STATE & DC URGE SENATE HEARING (638 EDITORIALS) (10/13/16)

MERRICK GARLAND: 638 EDITORIALS BY OVER 300 EDITORIAL BOARDS IN EVERY STATE & DC URGE SENATE TO HOLD A HEARING AND VOTE ON NOMINEE TO FILL SUPREME COURT VACANCY – STATE BY STATE LINKS/EXCERPTS (as of October 13, 2016) 
These 638 Editorials by 301 newspaper editorial boards in all 50 states and DC represent well over 95 percent of the newspaper editorial board opinions revealed by comprehensive online research. Click State names on first page for Editorial Board links/excerpts for each State.

16 Environmental Organizations (including Defenders of Wildlife) Call on Senate to Hold Up or Down Vote on Supreme Court Nominee, Merrick Garland (07/15/16)
Backed by 16 environmental organizations, this letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Harry Reid calls on the United States Senate to commit to doing its job by holding an up or down vote on the President's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. For the protection of our air, water, wildlife and lands, a strong and intact judicial system is as important as ever.

MERRICK GARLAND: OVER 60 NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL BOARDS THAT ENDORSED REPUBLICAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2008, 2012, OR BOTH, URGE SENATE HEARING AND VOTE ON OBAMA NOMINEE TO FILL SUPREME COURT VACANCY – STATE BY STATE LINKS/EXCERPTS (as of June 14, 2016) (06/14/16)

17 National Environmental Groups (including Defenders of Wildlife) CEOs' Letter to Sens. McConnell & Reid on Filling the Supreme Court Vacancy (03/08/16)
"President Obama has announced that he will nominate a replacement for the vacancy on the Supreme Court bench left by the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, and we believe the President has a clearly prescribed constitutional responsibility to do so. On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, we call on the United States Senate to commit to doing its job by conducting fair confirmation hearings and holding a timely vote on that nominee.... There is ample precedent for a nominee to be confirmed in election years, even when the Senate and White House are controlled by opposite political parties. Willful obstructionism is simply a dereliction of duty, .... For the protection of our air, water, wildlife and lands, a strong and intact judiciary system is as important as ever."

Defenders of Wildlife and others signed letter from 82 Organizations Condemning GOP Judiciary Committee Members’ Unprecedented Obstruction on SCOTUS Vacancy and Urging Them to Uphold the Constitution (02/26/16)

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