Disapprove of GOP

Majority of Americans disapprove of GOP SCOTUS nominee blockade

By Eliza Collins

More than half of Americans disapprove of the plan by the GOP Senate leadership to block any Supreme Court nominee, though there is more support within the Republican party.

A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll out Wednesday found that 55 percent of American voters disapprove of senate Republicans' plan to block President Barack Obama from being able to replace Justice Antonin Scalia.

But as expected the breakdown is on party lines: 69 percent of Republicans approve of keeping the seat open, and 55 percent approve of leaving the seat open by blocking confirmation hearings and all consideration of a nominee. Nearly eight in 10 Democrats (79 percent) disapprove of the GOP senators' blockage.

The call by Senate leadership to hold off on replacing the justice until the next president has been decided has created a rift in congress, Obama has promised to nominate a qualified person.

The poll of 1,200 registered voters was conducted March 3-6 with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points.