Garland’s Supreme Court nomination questionnaire delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee

Washington—Following today’s delivery of Judge Merrick B. Garland’s Supreme Court nomination questionnaire to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and other members of the Judiciary Committee urged Republicans to hold a hearing and vote for President Obama’s nominee.

The questionnaire, used to guide the confirmation process, details Garland’s professional experience, judicial opinions, media interviews and speaking engagements. Garland’s questionnaire is 141 pages long and is accompanied by 2,006 pages of appendices.  

Feinstein’s remarks follow:

“This is really unbelievable to me that a president’s fourth year the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court Justice is nullified. It’s unbelievable to me that only 46 members have visited and talked with and questioned this nominee.

“And it’s unbelievable to me that something that’s always been done by pattern and practice, which is to give a nominee a hearing and, as a matter of fact, to recommend that nominee out, even if you disagree with him. And even if you don’t vote for him.

“So this is brand new territory and what it signifies is part of what this campaign out there for president is saying—the belief that our government is broken. That we’re not doing what we’re elected to do. Candidly, it’s a whole year plus that will go by, with the Court at four to four, with important decisions either put off, or coming out at a tie.

“This man is superbly qualified. He is amazing. No one can predict on whatever side of a question he’s going to vote for. But he knows the Constitution. He knows the law. And in my judgment, he represents what the Supreme Court really should be.”