Sen. David Perdue joined with all 10 of his Republican colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee today to recommend that the chamber not hold any hearings on a Supreme Court nominee until after the new president is sworn in next January.
"Given the particular circumstances under which this vacancy arises, we wish to inform you of our intention to exercise our constitutional authority to withhold consent on any nominee to the Supreme Court submitted by this President to fill Justice Scalia's vacancy," the group wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell .
Perdue was joined on the letter by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa, President Pro Tempore Orrin Hatch of Utah, presidential candidate Ted Cruz of Texas and John Cornyn, another Texan who serves as the second-ranking Republican in the chamber.
McConnell, R-Ky., quickly announced this afternoon that he intends to adhere to the committee members’ request. He added that he’s "not inclined” to even take meetings with President Barack Obama’s expected nominee, bucking a long-standing custom in the chamber.
When pressed about whether blocking consideration was a political gamble, McConnell said he knows what he’s doing.
“You know, I have many faults but getting off-message is not one of them,” he told reporters.
Sen. Roger Wicker, who runs the group tasked with winning and maintaining Republican seats in the Senate, said he was confident the party’s hard line on a Supreme Court replacement would not impact his party’s chances at the ballot box in November.
“We are very comfortable having the American people speak on this issue,” said Wicker, R-Miss.
Senate Democrats were quick to slam the GOP’s game plan, part of their full-court press on the issue.
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