There is no higher honor for a Judge than to be nominated to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

And one could easily argue that there are few responsibilities greater for any president as the decision of a Supreme Court nomination.

President Donald Trump hit a legal home run in his nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court. As I’ve said before, Brett Kavanaugh is a kind-hearted, brilliant and experienced jurist who will make an excellent Supreme Court Justice. As hearings begin this week, it’s a shame that U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown continues to put politics over the progress of our nation.

Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination is historic as he is a highly qualified, mainstream judge that has earned national respect for his experience and judicial philosophy. However, we now live in a world of brash partisanship where Democrats disavow every move made by President Trump simply because he sits on the other side of the political aisle.

Sherrod Brown leads this resist-and-obstruct caucus of Democrats here in Ohio. Despite Ohioans overwhelmingly electing President Trump in 2016, Sherrod Brown continues to block President Trump’s appointees, stall his judicial nominees, and blindly obstruct his economic agenda.

The nomination of Judge Kavanaugh has proven to be no different. For over a month, Sherrod Brown refused to sit down with Judge Kavanaugh to properly review his record, like he promised Ohioans. It took Democratic party-boss Chuck Schumer’s permission for Brown to finally meet with Judge Kavanaugh, only after Schumer had set a meeting of his own. However, this meeting proved to be more like a political stunt, rather than a proper examination of a future Supreme Court Justice.

Less than one week after sitting down with Judge Kavanaugh, Sherrod Brown, in a move that surprised no one, announced his blanket opposition. This rehearsed and knee-jerk opposition makes it clear that Sherrod Brown is taking cues from party leaders like Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, and not from the constituents he represents in Ohio.

Judge Kavanaugh has earned national acclaim for his impeccable judicial record. We see this as people from all backgrounds have lined up to support his nomination. Just look at the people introducing Judge Kavanaugh in this week’s hearings – former U.S. Sec. of State Condoleezza Rice, Ohio’s very own U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, and attorney Lisa Blatt – a self-proclaimed feminist and devout liberal.

In an op-ed published by Politico, Ms. Blatt calls for Democrats to lay down their partisan arms and confirm Judge Kavanaugh:

“Democrats should quit attacking Kavanaugh—full stop. It is unbecoming to block him simply because they want to, and they risk alienating intelligent people who see the obvious: He is the most qualified conservative for the job.”

Sherrod Brown should heed this important advice. It is unbecoming to the people of Ohio for Brown to put politics ahead of progress, and party ahead of nation.

Unfortunately, this opposition is par-for-the-course for Sherrod Brown. Despite voting for 100 percent of President Obama’s judicial nominees, Brown continues to vote against the majority of President Trump’s judicial nominees. What’s even worse, last year, it took Brown only 11 minutes to come out against Justice Neil Gorsuch. Eleven minutes!

While he may have given more lip-service to Judge Kavanaugh in this midterm-election year, it’s clear that Brown never intended to give Judge Kavanaugh a fair chance.

This is what Ohioans — and all Americans — are sick and tired of. There are too many career politicians in D.C. who care only about their “side” winning. In the meantime, the American people are losing.

Judge Kavanaugh is exactly the type of Associate Justice our country needs. I urge senators across the country, specifically Sherrod Brown, to put politics aside and swiftly confirm

Judge Kavanaugh to the nation’s highest bench. Ohioans are watching and the country is waiting.​

 

Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, is a U.S. representative and is his party’s nominee in this fall’s U.S. Senate race.