Letter: Chuck Grassley should fulfill obligation

Could Iowa farmer Sen. Chuck Grassley be a credible chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee? This injudicious question was posed by Rep. Bruce Braley in 2014 when Braley attempted to fill the seat vacated by Sen. Tom Harkin.

Braley was clearly suggesting that he, a lawyer, was much more suited for the position than a mere farmer. Iowa voters were understandably turned off by this attack. Grassley now chairs the Judiciary Committee and has overseen numerous hearings on President Barack Obama's nominees to the federal bench.

President Obama has indicated that he intends to fulfill his constitutionally mandated responsibility to appoint someone to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Our Constitution is clear that the president 'shall”, not may, make an appointment when a vacancy occurs. In his role as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Grassley will have the responsibility to hold hearings on the suitability of that nominee for the Supreme Court. Let's hope he does. Like our president, he still has over 10 months remaining in his term of office.

Philip Andrew

Iowa City