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The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader
United States Senate
317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Chuck Grassley

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
135 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Harry Reid

Minority Leader
United States Senate
522 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Patrick Leahy

Ranking Member, Committee on the Judiciary
United States Senate
437 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

March 21, 2016

Dear Senators McConnell, Grassley, Reid, and Leahy:
Cities for Action is a coalition of over 100 mayors and municipalities who have joined together to lead a
national movement for immigration policies and reforms that will empower stronger, safer and more
economically prosperous cities and counties. We are writing to urge you to fulfill your duty to the
American people by considering and voting on President Obamas nominee to the United States
Supreme Court.
The constitutional obligations of the President and the Senate are clear and unambiguous, and should be
above politics the President appoints justices to the Supreme Court, and the Senate shall advise and
consent on his nominee.
Issues that impact our jurisdictions are regularly before the Supreme Court. We have a strong interest in
ensuring that the work of the Court and the welfare of our constituents are not adversely affected by an
extended vacancy. Especially now, when so much is at stake from immigration reform, to other issues
of national importance your oath to support and defend the Constitution and faithfully discharge the
duties of your office becomes even more important.
When in January 2016, the Supreme Court decided to hear the case of United States v Texas, we had
hope that the wheels of justice would finally be shifted out of neutral for millions of immigrant families.
News reports indicating that members of the Senate would not consider any nominee, further echoed by
the letter signed by Republican Senators on the Judiciary Committee, injects political gamesmanship
into a legal system we rely on to protect our constituents.

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Our coalition of cities, counties and municipal governments represents over 55 million people from
more than half the states in the nation. Our immigrant populations are part of the economic and cultural
fabric of our communities, yet the justice they seek has been put on hold. Adding any delay in
considering a new nominee will further deny a resolution for the future of their families.
The Senate has a responsibility to act, both under the oath they have sworn and to the people for whom
they have pledged to work. Your willingness to meet this responsibility is not just a test of your
commitment to fulfill the duties of your job, but your fidelity to the democratic values that are at the
heart of our nation and our countrys history.
Thus we respectfully request that you embrace the role of leadership that the people of this country have
entrusted in you, and promptly consider the Presidents nominee to the Court without obstruction or
undue delay.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter,
Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown, PA
Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin, TX
Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Mayor of Baltimore, MD
William Bell, Mayor of Birmingham, AL
Edward Terry, Mayor of Clarkston, GA
Stephen Benjamin, Mayor of Columbia, SC
Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, IA
Dianne Martinez, Mayor of Emeryville, CA
Sly James, Mayor of Kansas City, MO
Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles, CA
Paul Soglin, Mayor of Madison, WI
Toni Harp, Mayor of New Haven, CT
Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York, NY
Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia, PA
Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix, AZ
William Peduto, Mayor of Pittsburgh, PA
John Dickert, Mayor of Racine, WI
Thomas Butt, Mayor of Richmond, CA
Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento, CA
Jackie Biskupski, Mayor of Salt Lake City, UT
Edwin Lee, Mayor of San Francisco, CA
Edward Murray, Mayor of Seattle, WA
Stephanie Miner, Mayor of Syracuse, NY
Andrew Gillum, Mayor of Tallahassee, FL