Sen. Chuck Grassley, who chairs the Judiciary Committee which considers Supreme Court appointments, says he has not decided whether to give a confirmation hearing to President Barack Obama’s eventual nominee to replace the recently deceased Justice Antonin Scalia.
The Iowa Republican told home-state reporters he’d wait for Obama’s nominee to be named before announcing his decision.
“I would wait until the nominee is made before I would make any decisions,” Grassley said Tuesday morning. “In other words, take it a step at a time.”
Senate Republicans have publicly pledged not to put Obama’s Supreme Court nominee on the bench, saying Scalia’s replacement should be chosen after the presidential election by Obama’s successor in the Oval Office.
But they haven’t said exactly how they’ll treat an Obama nominee, and the President has made clear that he plans to tap someone for the high court.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has not publicly stated whether he would allow an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor even though Republicans have enough votes to stop Obama’s choice.
While he wouldn’t talk procedural specifics, Grassley stuck by his position that Scalia should be replaced by the next president, rather than Obama.
“This is a very serious position to fill and it should be filled and debated during the campaign and filled by either Hillary Clinton, Senator Sanders or whoever’s nominated by the Republicans,” Grassley said.