Speaker Ryan Ignores Wisconsin On SCOTUS

By: Meredith Kelly

Today Speaker Ryan doubled down on his insistence that Congress should not fulfill its constitutional duty to confirm a nominee to the Supreme Court. Ryan joins embattled Senator Ron Johnson in this irresponsible position.

This puts Ryan in a particularly uncomfortable position back home, where this weekend’s news was littered with articles on prominent former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson breaking with Ryan by encouraging Congress to do its job and consider a nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. Thompson said:

“I think the Senate has got to take on the responsibility and hold hearings. They can vote it down. But I think America is entitled to democracy to work,” Thompson said.

He added: “The government’s got to work and it has not worked in years. And it’s about time they start doing their responsibility and carrying on what their responsibility is, and that’s holding public hearings. And then vote it down if they don’t like the candidate. Let the next president choose. But to say, I’m just not going to hold public hearings is not an answer.”

Polls from Marquette Law School and PPP confirm a majority of Wisconsin voters agree Congress must do its job and fill the Supreme Court vacancy. And the state’s largest newspaper editorial board is urging Congress to allow hearings and a vote on the nominee.

If Wisconsinites and the American people want the Senate to do its job and consider a nomination, then it seems that Paul Ryan is simply playing politics in order to back up his Senate Republican buddies.