When it comes to replacing the late Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court, New York Senator Charles Schumer believes there are candidates that both political parties will accept. “We don’t have to have such partisanship here.”
As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Schumer would be part of the key panel charged with vetting any potential Supreme Court Justice.
"I hope the President nominates a mainstream, bipartisan person who can get broad support," Schumer said during a visit to Ithaca on Monday.
That suggestion does not coincide with some of the early reaction from Republican leaders. Presidential candidate Ted Cruz, the Republican Senator from Texas who also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, wants the next President to nominate Scalia's replacement.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made similar statements.
"I think Senator McConnell made a huge mistake in saying that he would not even have a hearing and let the public vote," Schumer said.
"I don’t believe that will stand. I believe there will be such outrage among the public that he will have to back off. I believe a good number of his Republican colleagues will."
Schumer pointed out that Republicans did support President Obama's previous nominees for the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.