Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid accused Sen. Chuck Grassley Tuesday of using his control over the Senate Judiciary Committee to block President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, in order to let Donald Trump make a new pick if he wins the White House.
Reid, D-Nev., said on the Senate floor that Trump’s recent remarks about a U.S. judge not being able to rule fairly in a case about Trump University because his parents are from Mexico were “racist and un-American.” But he said Grassley hasn’t condemned Trump.
“Instead of rising above partisanship and condemning Trump’s racist attack on a highly qualified judge… Sen. Grassley kisses Trump’s ring and tows the party line. Instead of condemning Trump, Grassley defended him,” Reid said.
Reid said Grassley has been defending Trump’s record in court in the various lawsuits he’s been party to, but hasn’t found time to hold a hearing for Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.
“How about that?” Reid said. “I find it curious that the chairman doesn’t have time to read Merrick Garland’s questionnaire or give him a hearing, but he has time to study Donald Trump’s success rate in the courtroom.”
“Instead, Sen. Grassley chose to further establish himself as a Trump cheerleader, just like the Republican leader has done,” Reid added.
“There’s no better example than the current vacancy on the Supreme Court,” he said. “Rather than doing his constitutional duty in processing Merrick Garland’s nomination, Chairman Grassley took his marching orders from Trump, and Trump said delay, delay, delay. And that’s exactly what the senator from Iowa has done. Delay, delay, delay.”
