WASHINGTON, D. C. – Today, Attorney General Karl Racine joined a letter with attorneys general from 19 other states and Puerto Rico calling on the Senate to promptly take action on a Supreme Court nominee when presented by President Obama.

The letter, sent to Senate leadership in both parties, notes that “the states and territories have a unique and pressing interest in a full and functioning Supreme Court.”

“The President has a constitutional duty to nominate replacements to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, and the Senate has a duty to give those nominees fair and timely confirmation hearings and votes,” Attorney General Racine said. “Like other states and territories, the District of Columbia has a strong interest in ensuring that the Supreme Court can settle weighty issues of national law – something that might not happen if the Court ends up deadlocked on the incredibly important cases involving immigration, abortion rights and other issues before it this term.”

Attorney General Racine joined colleagues from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington in signing the letter.

A copy of the letter is attached.