WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) spoke at today’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting about the impact of Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement on the future of the Supreme Court. 

“If you look at decisions that affect people in their daily lives, the Supreme Court in the last decade has literally decided who can get married, where you can go to school, and how safe your working conditions are,” Klobuchar said in the meeting. “In light of the unique position here for filling Justice Kennedy’s seat and in light of the very recent history of appointments to the Supreme Court, I would argue strongly that while the President can nominate someone, we should use the same rule that Senator McConnell used and not have a vote until after the election. I hope my colleagues will do this; I hope that they will use their own independence and push to have someone who’s an independent thinker that’s going to respect precedent on this Court.”

Klobuchar is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over Supreme Court nominees. She served on the Judiciary Committee during the confirmation of Associate Justices Neil Gorsuch, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan. Prior to her time in the Senate, Klobuchar served as Hennepin County Attorney.

Video of Klobuchar speaking at the hearing is available here.

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