A few lies from Joni Ernst [View all]

Pushing the propaganda:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about the tragic death of Justice Antonin Scalia and the resulting vacancy on the Supreme Court. It is important for me to hear from folks in Iowa on important matters such as this.

On February 13, 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in his sleep in Shafter, TX. Justice Scalia was a passionate defender of our Constitution and one of the most influential legal minds of our time. His nearly thirty years of service on the Supreme Court were marked by a deep commitment to upholding the principles on which our great country was founded. I am deeply saddened by the passing of Justice Scalia, and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with his family.

As you know, the Appointments Clause of the U.S. Constitution states that the President "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint...Judges of the Supreme Court." Thus, while the President may submit a nomination, it is the Senate that has the constitutional authority to grant – or withhold – consent to the President's nominee. As Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has previously acknowledged, "[n]owhere in that document does it say the Senate has a duty to give Presidential appointees a vote."

Senate confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year is rare – it has been almost 80 years since a Supreme Court justice has been both nominated and confirmed in a presidential election year. We have to look back even further to 1888 to find a Supreme Court justice who was both nominated and confirmed under divided government in a presidential election year. Today, in the midst of a critical national election, the Senate has the unique opportunity to pause and give the American people a voice in the type of jurist that should fill the vacancy left by Justice Scalia.

As your Senator, I take the role of judicial confirmation very seriously, and I appreciate your input. Please feel free to contact my office with any additional information, as I always enjoy hearing from Iowans.

Sincerely,

Joni K. Ernst
United States Senator