Today Senator Rob Portman doubled down on Mitch McConnell’s pledge to obstruct the constitutional process, saying that not only would he oppose hearings or votes on a Supreme Court nominee, but he would not even meet with the nominee. This is yet another time where Portman, who votes with Republicans 92 percent of the time, is putting his partisan ties ahead of the interests of Ohioans.
Public opinion has shown that Portman is on the wrong side of this issue. He was roundly criticized by editorials in Ohio, and new pollingconfirms his obstruction will make his reelection “even harder this fall if they don’t change their tune”:
· 58 percent of Ohio voters think that the Supreme Court vacancy should be filled this year;
· 74 percent of voters think that Senators should wait to see who the nominee is before deciding to whether to confirm that person;
· 63 percent of Republican voters think the nominee deserves a chance before senators decide whether or not to confirm; and
· Just 30 percent of voters approve of the job Portman is doing.
“Rob Portman’s Supreme Court obstructionism is spotlighting his commitment to Washington Republicans at the expense of Ohio,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “Portman’s latest embrace of Republican political games over the basic responsibilities of his job is shameful, and voters will turn out in November to elect a Senator who will stand up for Ohio and actually do their job.”
