Walker, Schimel Urge US Senate To Vote On Trump Supreme Court Nominee

Gov. Scott Walker is urging the U.S. Senate to hold a hearing on President Donald Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee, while Democrats question the governor’s motivations for weighing in on the conflict.

Walker joined a conservative judicial advocacy group Wednesday in the state Capitol to support Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

Walker’s position stands in contrast to his comments last year urging Republicans to block President Barack Obama’s SCOTUS nominee, Merrick Garland.

The governor rebuffed questions about whether U.S. Senate Republicans are being hypocritical now.

“There’s a whole lot of debate and chatter about process and things of the past,” Walker said. “I haven’t heard anybody give a credible argument as to why someone who holds such high credentials, who is so highly regarded by both Democrats and Republicans alike, shouldn’t be on the court.”

Walker said the background and experience of Garland and Gorsuch are “almost identical” and that the American people are “sick and tired” of argument over appointments to the high court.

“People can discuss all they want the nomination that was made last year – we can’t rehash that, we can’t go back in time,” he said.

Democrats accused the governor of doing the bidding of Trump.

“After Walker’s weekend field trip to the Oval Office earlier this year, the governor came back to Wisconsin with a new sense of vigor to support Donald Trump’s extremely divisive agenda and uniquely unqualified nominees,” said Brandon Weathersby, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, in a prepared statement.

Scot Ross, executive director of liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, said Walker’s remarks were aimed at Wisconsin’s Democratic U.S. Senator, Tammy Baldwin.

“I think the real reason we’re here today is not because Gov. Walker or the Attorney General talking about this is going to influence senators, it’s because they want to attack Tammy Baldwin because they cannot get a credible candidate against her,” Ross said.

Baldwin will be up for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2018. She has said she will vote against Gorsuch‘s confirmation.

Attorney General Brad Schimel also spoke in support of Gorsuch at the press conference.

“The American people deserve a court that can reach decisions,” Schimel said. “The United States Senate and Sen. Baldwin should grant an up or down vote on Judge Gorsuch quickly – they owe that to the American people.”

Representatives from the conservative Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty also expressed their support for the nominee.