MoveOn petition to the Senate: Do your constitutional duty.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away yesterday. President Obama offered his condolences to Justice Scalia's family, ordered flags to be flown at half-mast, and pledged to do his job and nominate a new justice for consideration by the Senate.^1,2

Republicans wasted no time in turning to partisan politics. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell announced that "this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new President.”³ Hours later, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said that President Obama shouldn't get to appoint the next justice.⁴ And this morning, Senator Ted Cruz vowed to filibuster any Obama nominee.⁵

We can't let Republicans keep a Supreme Court seat vacant for more than a year due to purely partisan obstructionism. Let's make sure Republican senators do their job as defined in the Constitution: to advise and consent to the president's nominee.

Click here to sign this petition to the Senate: Do your constitutional duty. Pledge to give President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court a timely vote.

Republicans may think it'll be good election year theater to refuse to consider President Obama's nominee. But the more signatures on our petition, the louder our message: It is critical to fill this vacancy—and anyone who abdicates their constitutional duty will be haunted by their choice through November and beyond.

When this rapid-response petition crosses 50,000 signatures, MoveOn will publicize it in Washington, D.C. and in the home state of any senator who is abdicating his or her responsibility by fighting for a prolonged and destructive vacancy on the court. Will you add your name and send your senators this message now?

From a woman's right to choose, to the ability of workers to organize, to how America can combat climate change, to efforts to craft a humane immigration policy, the Supreme Court is facing pressing topics that directly affect the lives of countless Americans. Leaving a seat empty would reduce the court's ability to decide these matters, create costly uncertainty, and be a direct attack on one of the three branches of American government.

Many justices have been confirmed in election years before, including as recently as in 1988, when Senator McConnell and many other Republican senators voted to confirm Justice Anthony Kennedy.⁶

Tell your senators and Senator McConnell: It's up to you to do your job as defined by the Constitution. As soon as President Obama announces a nominee, advise, consent, and move forward.

Thanks for all you do.