President Barack Obama has nominated a successor for the late U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate have vowed to delay the nomination, something Democrats say won’t happen
During a nationally televised interview, Democratic Sen, and Minority Leader Harry Reid said Democrats "have never held up a Supreme Court nomination."
PolitiFact Florida heard about the claim and put it to the Truth-O-Meter. They gave it a MOSTLY TRUE rating.
PolitiFact writer Joshua Gillin said Sen. Reid’s claim Democrats have never prevented a confirmation hearing is true, but they have opposed nominees before.
“Now, the 1987...Senate Democrats really did oppose Robert Bork," Gillin said. "He actually had a lot of opposition and did not...He still got a hearing, but he was not moved along."
Gillin also highlighted the 2005 filibuster of nominee Samuel Alito. Ultimately, Alito got his hearing and was confirmed as a Supreme Court associate justice.
It’s for that reason Sen. Reid’s claim was given a MOSTLY TRUE rating.
SOURCES: Reid says Democrats don't hold up U.S. Supreme Court nominees
- NBC, Meet the Press, March 20, 2016
- CQ Roll Call, "Supreme Showdowns: Inside The Senate Battles Over The High Court And What Awaits Obama's Nominee," March 15, 2016
- PolitiFact, "Mike Honda shares accurate graphic about past Supreme Court nominations," March 16, 2016
- Washington Post, "A bushel of flip-flops on approving judicial nominees," Feb. 23, 2016
- New York Times, "Final Senate Vote on Alito Is Scheduled for This Morning," Jan. 31, 2006
- New York Times, "Bring it on," March 16, 2016
- Email interview, Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson, March 20, 2016
- Congressional Research Service, "Supreme Court Nominations Not Confirmed, 1789-August 2010," Aug. 20, 2010