CAPAC Chair’s Statement on Supreme Court Vacancy

WASHINGTON – Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chairwoman Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) released the following statement on Tuesday in response to threats by Senate Republicans to block any nomination by President Obama to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia:

Justice Antonin Scalia

“The Senate has a constitutional duty to consider judicial vacancies expeditiously, and I am dismayed that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has chosen to embrace partisanship ideology rather than enable the president and the Senate to fulfill its duty to the American people.

“There are important decisions pending before the United States Supreme Court ranging from the president’s immigration actions to the environment, and it is vital that we have nine members of the court to decide these constitutional issues that will shape the future of our country.

“The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus stands with President Obama and urges the president to nominate a replacement for Justice Scalia who has the qualifications, integrity, and temperament to serve on our nation’s highest court.

“Over the past several years, CAPAC members have worked closely with the president to ensure that he nominates highly qualified and diverse judges to the federal bench, and we urge him to make history by nominating the first Asian American and Pacific Islander jurist to the Supreme Court.”