Bronx, N.Y. – Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the long vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court left by the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz calls upon New York Senator and Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gilibrand to oppose the nomination of ultra-conservative Judge Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Scalia, who passed away in early 2016, left a vacant seat on the U.S. Supreme Court eleven months before the end of Barack Obama’s Presidency. President Obama nominated the moderate Merrick Garland to be his replacement, however Garland was not even granted a confirmation hearing.

U.S constitution empowers Presidents to nominate Supreme Court Justices whether or not partisan opponents want the President to fulfill his constitutional duty.

That fact did not stop the Senate Majority, outspoken proponents of “Strict Constructionism,” from refusing to even give Garland a confirmation hearing. Apparently interpreting the U.S. Constitution in it strictest sense is only a priority when a strict interpretation aligns with the Majority’s obstructionist right-wing political agenda and court stacking efforts.

“During Barack Obama’s presidency, the Senate Majority, in an unprecedented and outrageous political act, ensured that the Supreme Court seat would be empty for well over a year and refused to even give a hearing to Merrick Garland, the moderate judge nominated by President Obama,” said Assemblyman Dinowitz. “They did something which has never happened in American History: they stole a Supreme Court seat in the hopes of securing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court in a gross act of politicization. “Trump could have been a bridge builder and unifier by re-nominating Judge Garland. But instead he chose to go with a hard-right judge to satisfy the extremists who dominate his party. Shame on him.”

The Minority in Congress now have an opportunity to show that they have the guts to stand up to the President who lost the popular vote and the Majority-controlled Senate who stole the Supreme Court seat.

Assemblyman Dinowitz maintains his confidence that Senators Schumer and Gilibrand will fight tooth and nail to oppose any extremist nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court.