Other LanguagesImperative to fill vacancy caused by death of Justice Antonin Scalia
OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today called on the United States Senate to take action on a Supreme Court nominee when presented by President Barack Obama. The request for timely consideration came in a letter signed by 21 attorneys general from around the country.
“The issues before our nation’s highest court are too important not to receive consideration from a full complement of Justices,” Ferguson said. “The Senate must honor its duty to the American people and its long tradition of consideration of Supreme Court appointments — from any president. The stakes are too high to play partisan politics.”
Attorney General Ferguson joined colleagues from California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia in asking the Senate to fulfill its constitutional obligation to consider a nominee to take the seat of the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
The letter, sent to Senate leadership in both parties, notes that “the states and territories have a unique and pressing interest in a full and functioning Supreme Court.”
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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the state of Washington with attorneys and staff in 27 divisions across the state providing legal services to roughly 200 state agencies, boards and commissions. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.
Contact:
Peter Lavallee, Communications Director, (360) 586-0725; PeterL@atg.wa.gov