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Grassley says he supports the Republican push for a Supreme Court nominee, and McConnell promises a vote ‘this year.’ Grassley and Gardner will back a Republican push to vote on a Supreme Court nominee, strengthening McConnell’s hand.
(32 minutes later)
Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on Monday that he would support moving forward before the election to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The announcement was a reversal of his earlier stance on election-year vacancies. Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said on Monday that he would support moving forward before the election to fill the Supreme Court vacancy after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and his fellow Republican, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, later announced that he would vote to confirm any “qualified nominee.”
“Once the hearings are underway, it’s my responsibility to evaluate the nominee on the merits, just as I always have,” Mr. Grassley said in a statement. “The Constitution gives the Senate that authority, and the American people’s voices in the most recent election couldn’t be clearer.” Mr. Grassley’s announcement, a reversal of his earlier stance on election-year vacancies, and Mr. Gardner’s statement significantly strengthened the hand of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, who has vowed to confirm a new justice in the coming months.
The announcement by the most senior Senate Republican strengthened the hand of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, who has made it clear he would move forward with President Trump’s nominee despite the party’s refusal to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick in 2016, when they argued that doing so in a presidential election year would not be appropriate. “This Senate will vote on this nomination this year,” Mr. McConnell confirmed on Monday, though it remains unclear if he will press for a vote before or after the Nov. 3 general election.
As senators returned to Washington on Monday for the first time since Justice Ginsburg’s death, Mr. McConnell reiterated that he planned to fill her vacant Supreme Court seat this year, but declined to offer a precise timeline. The announcement by Mr. Grassley, the most senior Senate Republican and a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, was perhaps most helpful to Mr. McConnell, who has made it clear he would move forward with President Trump’s nominee despite the party’s refusal to consider President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick in 2016. At the time, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Grassley and other Republicans had argued that doing so in a presidential election year would not be appropriate.
“The Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination,” Mr. McConnell said in a speech meant to knock down complaints lodged by Democrats. “History and precedent make that perfectly clear.” On Monday, Mr. McConnell restated his intention to move forward. “The Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination,” Mr. McConnell said in a speech meant to knock down complaints lodged by Democrats. “History and precedent make that perfectly clear.”
“This Senate will vote on this nomination this year,” he added. With President Trump vowing to name a replacement by the weekend, Mr. McConnell has been working behind the scenes to lock up the support he would need to proceed.
With President Trump vowing to name a replacement by the weekend, Mr. McConnell was working behind the scenes to lock up the support he would need to proceed. Republicans could try to rush to confirm a replacement for Justice Ginsburg before Election Day. But doing so could put some of their members up for election — including Mr. Gardner — in greater political peril and keep them off the campaign trail in the crucial closing weeks of the campaign. There are risks in waiting, too, particularly if voters overwhelmingly reject Mr. Trump and Republican senators at the ballot box.
Republicans could try to rush to confirm a replacement for Justice Ginsburg before Election Day. But doing so could put some of their members up for election in greater political peril and keep them off the campaign trail in the crucial closing weeks of the campaign. There are risks in waiting, too, particularly if voters overwhelmingly reject Mr. Trump and Republican senators at the ballot box.
Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have publicly objected to the idea of a vote before Election Day, meaning Mr. McConnell could only afford to lose one more member of his party, given his slim, 53-to-47 majority.Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have publicly objected to the idea of a vote before Election Day, meaning Mr. McConnell could only afford to lose one more member of his party, given his slim, 53-to-47 majority.
That focused attention on Mr. Grassley and Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Cory Gardner of Colorado, who were seen as possible holdouts but had said nothing publicly about their intentions. Mr. Romney was the only Republican to break with his party and vote to convict and remove Mr. Trump at his impeachment trial. A vote on a Supreme Court nominee before the election could prove tricky for Mr. Gardner, who is in a tough re-election race in the politically competitive state of Colorado. That focused attention on Mr. Grassley, Mr. Gardner and Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, who were seen as possible holdouts but had said nothing publicly about their intentions.
Mr. Grassley was chairman of the Judiciary Committee when Republicans blocked Mr. Obama’s pick in 2016, when he sided with Mr. McConnell in arguing that it was best to let voters decide who should fill the Supreme Court seat. And as recently as this summer, Mr. Grassley told reporters that out of fairness and consistency, that would still be his position this year if he were chairman.
But on Monday, he noted that he was no longer, in fact, chairman, and he fell into line behind his successor, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Mr. Graham, who had repeatedly said no Supreme Court nomination should be considered in a presidential election year, reversed himself on Saturday and said he supported proceeding to consider whomever President Trump nominated. Mr. Grassley’s flip was likely to fuel Democrats’ outrage over what they are calling rank hypocrisy by Republicans in light of their actions and statements in 2016.
Mr. Grassley’s flip was likely to fuel Democrats’ outrage over what they are calling rank hypocrisy by Republicans in light of their actions and statements in 2016. But it is a crucial victory for the White House and Republican leaders in the Senate who need to unite their party in order to fill the seat and, they hope, cement a conservative majority on the court for years to come.
Around the same time, Iowa’s junior senator, Joni Ernst, who is in a tough re-election fight this fall, indicated she, too, would support moving forward, though she did not explicitly say she would support voting on a nominee this year. Polls have shown Ms. Ernst, who is also a member of Mr. McConnell’s leadership team, in a dead heat with her Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield.Around the same time, Iowa’s junior senator, Joni Ernst, who is in a tough re-election fight this fall, indicated she, too, would support moving forward, though she did not explicitly say she would support voting on a nominee this year. Polls have shown Ms. Ernst, who is also a member of Mr. McConnell’s leadership team, in a dead heat with her Democratic opponent, Theresa Greenfield.
“Once the president puts forward his nominee for the Supreme Court, I will carry out my duty — as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee — to evaluate the nominee for our nation’s highest court,” she said.“Once the president puts forward his nominee for the Supreme Court, I will carry out my duty — as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee — to evaluate the nominee for our nation’s highest court,” she said.