Ayotte says she won’t meet with SCOTUS nominee

Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) says she will not meet with President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, arguing it should be up to the next president to fill the court vacancy.

“No, no … in terms of the advise and consent process, I believe we should wait to have the people weigh in on who the next president is. And to weigh in, obviously, based on who … that next president will nominate,” Ayotte told Politico on Wednesday.

{mosads}Ayotte is facing a tough reelection battle this November, against likely Democratic opponent New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan.

Hassan issued a statement on Wednesday criticizing Ayotte’s position, saying the senator “remains in lock-step with her party and continues to refuse to do her job.”

Ayotte’s statements come a day after Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee came to a consensus decision to not have hearings or a vote on a Supreme Court nominee in 2016.

“We believe the American people need to decide who is going to make this appointment, rather than a lame-duck president,” Senate Republican Whip John Cornyn (Texas) told reporters Tuesday after a special meeting of the committee.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he doesn’t think a hearing should be held, adding that the decision should be made after the presidential election.

Obama, however, has said he plans to announce a nominee in the coming weeks.