Senate turns into slugfest as members fight over holding Supreme Court hearings.

By Brent Griffiths
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U.S. Senate Democrats tossed barbs at Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and his fellow Republicans on Tuesday for their unprecedented decision to refuse to hold hearings for a Supreme Court nominee.

“He will go down in history as the most obstructionist Judiciary chairman in the history of our country,” Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid said during a press conference. “Now, that says a lot because we knew about the Judiciary Committee chairmen during the Civil Rights Era.”

Reid, a Nevada Democrat who will retire after this session, joined a number of his party members in criticizing the decision.

The words of Reid, a former boxer, refer to Southern segregationists such as Sen. James Eastland, a Mississippi Democrat who not only opposed bills such as the Civil Rights Act but for years used his control of the committee to undermine any chance of its passing. Such a statement underlines the personal swipes that have characterized the discussion over the vacancy left on the highest court in the nation.

In response, a spokeswoman for Grassley said Reid was “the most obstructionist majority leader in history.” A five-term incumbent, Reid served in the position from 2007 to 2015.

Grassley is the head of the influential Judiciary Committee, which would have been the venue for any confirmation hearings. But a letter penned by the Iowa senator and his Republican colleagues made it clear such a process is out of the question, drawing Reid’s ire.

“Because our decision is based on constitutional principle and born of a necessity to protect the will of the American people, this committee will not hold hearings on any Supreme Court nominee until after our next president is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017,” the Republicans wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

According to a CNN report, the Senate historian said no Supreme Court nominee has ever been denied a hearing.

President Obama has not named a nominee to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, who died at a West Texas resort on Feb. 13. The late justice had many health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease, according to the Associated Press.

The tussle to replace Scalia began just hours after his death. McConnell firmly declared that a vacancy should remain on the court until after the election allowing the American people a chance to weigh in. Grassley followed suit, although the two senior GOP senators did not meet until the following week.

Despite the pronouncement, Grassley, a six-term senator, muddled his position back home in Iowa last week by seemingly allowing for hearings to be held. Then he stated that his weekend statement held more weight before allowing for the slim possibility again.

His very public deliberations led to editorials chastising him from around the country, including in the New York Times. With the release of the letter, though, the farmer’s position is once again in firm opposition.

Beyond ire in Washington, the move drew scorn from Iowa Democrats — who are left without a senator after the party failed to replace former Sen. Tom Harkin in 2014.

“Grassley and his Republican colleagues have decided to close their eyes and cover their ears instead of doing their jobs,” Ben Foeck, the executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party, said in a statement. “Iowans deserve far better than this childish obstructionism from Sen. Grassley.”

Three Democrats are vying to compete against Grassley, who is up for re-election this year.

Along with their personal condemnations of the GOP, there are reports that some Democrats are considering bringing the Senate to a standstill in retaliation until hearings are held.