Filling the Supreme Court Vacancy and Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Bill

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Grassley, and I will meet with President Obama later this morning. We will reiterate that the American people will have a voice in the vacancy on the Supreme Court as they choose the next President, who in turn will nominate the next Supreme Court Justice.

In other words, we will observe the Biden rule. Americans have by now become well acquainted with that advice from the Vice President.

Americans also know what both the current and future Senate Democratic leaders have had to say about judicial nominees when a different party was in the White House. They have heard the admonishment of the Senator from Nevada, Mr. Reid, that ``nowhere in [the Constitution] does it say the Senate has the duty to give presidential nominees a vote.'' They know the Senator from New York didn't even wait until the final year of President George W. Bush's term to declare that the Senate should ``not confirm a Supreme Court nominee except in extraordinary circumstances.''

So look, let's use this debate to discuss ways we can work together to make progress for our country, such as tackling a drug crisis that is tearing communities apart in all 50 States.

I was pleased to see colleagues join together to advance the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act just yesterday. I hope we will see that kind of cooperation continue. It is important for our country, and I look forward to discussing with the President how his administration can be helpful.

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