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Long-running Ska act The Pietasters dancing into Wilkes-Barre’s F.M. Kirby Center

Letter to the Editor: Neither Trump nor Clinton offers a cure for what ails America

<p>When Pat Toomey was sworn in as a U.S. senator nearly six years ago, he swore to &#8220;support and defend the Constitution of the United States.&#8221;</p><p>Recently, though, it appears Sen. Toomey is more interested in partisan politics than his constitutional duties. Now that President Barack Obama has performed his constitutional duty by making a Supreme Court nomination, it&#8217;s time for Toomey to do his job too. Toomey needs to press his leadership for a fair hearing and timely vote on Judge Merrick Garland.</p><p>Following the lead of the Senate&#8217;s chief obstructionist, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Toomey has suggested leaving the seat open for almost two full terms of the court. In addition to leaving important cases to an incomplete court, Toomey&#8217;s suggestion that we should wait for the next president to name a new justice disrespects the judgment of the 65 million Americans &#8211; including 2.9 million Pennsylvanians &#8211; who in 2012 gave Obama a full four-year term.</p><p>A fair hearing and timely vote is not too much to ask of the U.S. Senate. The last four justices to join the court, two appointed by President Obama and two by President George W. Bush, were confirmed in an average of 75 days. Since 1975, the Senate&#8217;s average time to review Supreme Court nominees has been 67 days from nomination to confirmation. There is no reason to delay, and no precedent to justify Sen. Toomey&#8217;s and his Republican colleagues&#8217; obstruction. If Sen. Toomey disapproves of Judge Garland, he can vote no.</p><p>In 1988, the final year of the presidency of Ronald Reagan, a man whom Toomey describes as someone who &#8220;never gave up,&#8221; a Democratic-controlled Senate confirmed Reagan&#8217;s final Supreme Court nominee, Justice Anthony Kennedy. Today, as then, our democracy and our system of justice depends on a fully functioning court.</p><p>Pennsylvanians want our elected officials to do their jobs. A recent Public Policy Polling survey found strong support for Senate action on the high court vacancy. That sentiment was bipartisan; 67 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans agreed that the Senate should give President Obama&#8217;s nominee consideration and a vote.</p><p>Sen. Toomey needs to remember who elected him and to whom he is beholden: the people of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Constitution. Instead of embracing McConnell&#8217;s tactics of obstructionism and gridlock, Sen. Toomey needs to do his job and fulfill his constitutional obligations. That means giving any Supreme Court nominee a fair hearing and timely vote. Anything short of that is disrespectful to Pennsylvania voters and the Constitution.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Guest columnist</p><p>Barry L. Kauffman</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Barry L. Kauffman is executive director of Harrisburg-based <a href="http://www.commoncause.org/states/pennsylvania/" target="_blank">Common Cause Pennsylvania</a>, which bills itself as &#8220;a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.&#8221;</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Barry L. Kauffman: U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey flaunts Constitution and constituents by rejecting timely Supreme Court vote