“What we get are things that have nothing to do with doing our jobs,” he said, following calls by Elizabeth Warren and Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono to approve judges awaiting confirmation. “I’m doing my job today and objecting to these measures so we can actually get back to pressing matters.” But Article 2, Section 2, Clause 2, of the Constitution clearly states that the responsibility of filling empty court seat lies with the Senate.
And what those pressing matters are appear to be unclear. Tillis has not found the time to oversee a replacement judge in a district court in his state, one that has been vacant for over a decade. The Republican-controlled Congress can’t claim to be focusing its energies on more pressing needs. It broke for a seven week summer recess without passing funding for Zika prevention, gun control or government spending, all pressing issues that won’t move forward now until the end of the summer.