Patty Judge
Two Democrats who hope to unseat Senator Grassley in November are calling on Grassley to “reconsider” and hold a hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court. Former Iowa Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge announced last week that she’s running for the U.S. Senate.
“Now that President Obama has done his job by making a nomination, it’s time for Chuck Grassley to do his,” Judge said today.
Judge said Grassley waited 35 years to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee and she “cannot understand the rationale” Grassley has given for refusing to act.
“He doesn’t need to wait for permission from his friends in the Republican leadership and or from Donald Trump,” Judge said. “He can schedule and he should schedule and hold a hearing at his own discretion.”
Rob Hogg, an attorney from Cedar Rapids, is another Democrat running for the U.S. Senate. Hogg said today that Grassley’s senate committee needs to give Judge Garland a “fair” hearing.
“I know as somebody who has worked for two federal judges — one appointed by a Democrat, one appointed by a Republican — good judges do their job regardless of who appointed them and what the political party was of the president who appointed them,” Hogg said.
Hogg is also a state senator and he said the Iowa Senate isn’t going to follow Grassley’s lead and quit doing its job with Governor Branstad’s nominees to state boards and commissions.
“Every one of them will get an up or down vote unless the governor withdraws them and that’s how this process is supposed to work,” Hogg said. “So I hope the Senate Judiciary Committee gets to work and gives Judge Garland an up or down vote.”
Two other Democrats have said they also plan to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016. Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause both ran unsuccessfully in a Democratic Primary for the U.S. Senate in 2010.