Sen. Chuck Grassley, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following comment after learning of the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Grassley’s first Supreme Court nomination hearing was that of Justice O’Connor. He has been a part of nine hearings for nominations to the Supreme Court or for Chief Justice.
Here is Grassley’s statement.
"As a freshman Senator going through my first Supreme Court nomination, I said during her confirmation hearing that Justice O’Connor seemed like a warm, perceptive and articulate person. She has confirmed this judgement everyday since then. As the first woman confirmed to the Supreme Court she has served the Court with dignity and fairness.
"Now as we move forward, I expect that any nominee the President sends to the Senate will be treated with fairness and respect, including an up or down vote in the Senate. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I’ll be looking forward to hearing from a nominee who understands that the role of the courts is to interpret the law, not create the law."