Michael J. Sharley, Westover
It appears that Senator Shelly Moore Capito needs a lesson on the U.S. Constitution. When President Barrack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court, she supported the Senate tactic on delaying the Senate vote until after the presidential elections so that the new president could nominate a candidate.
She argued that the new president would reflect the voice of the people, even though it is the constitutional duty of the presiding president to nominate a Supreme Court Justice.
But now she wants the Senate to approve Trump’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court before the upcoming elections.
The upcoming elections has the potential of changing the makeup of the United States Senate and the United States Senate has the constitutional responsibility to approve or deny the president’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
In other words, the U.S. Senate and the President have an equal role in placing a new justice on the Supreme Court.
Therefore, if we follow Senator Capito’s logic under the Garland nomination then the current nomination must be delayed until after the upcoming election. Only then will the makeup of the Senate reflect the voice of the people.
