North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is cautioning Republicans against falling into a "trap of being obstructionist" by automatically rejecting any nominee President Barack Obama offers to succeed Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
In an interview Tuesday on the Wilmington, N.C.-based
Tyler Cralle radio show, Tillis advises the president instead to nominate someone who has "an almost identical resume and capabilities" of the revered conservative jurist.
But, Tillis warns, "I think we fall into the trap, if we just simply say sight unseen — we fall into the trap of being obstructionist."
His remarks begin at the 1:58-minute mark in the audio clip above.
"If he puts forth someone that we think is in the mold of President Obama's vision for America, then we will use every device available to block that nomination, wait for the American people to voice their vote in November, and then move forward with the nomination after the election," Tillis adds.
"Our concern, based on the actions of this president, is that he's going to put forth someone who is ideologically aligned with him, and I think that's out of step with the American people."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
has called for the vacancy to be filled after the presidential election.
"The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice," the Kentucky lawmaker said after the jurist's death. "Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.”
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