Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell started the week by telling right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt that he plans to block any U.S. Supreme Court candidate that President Joe Biden makes if the Republicans are in the next year win back the Senate.
“Let me ask you, if you get a Republican majority back in 2022, and there is a very good chance that it will,” Hewitt postulated, “the rule you applied to Scalia’s position in 2016 would be 2024 apply to every vacancy? that happened then? “
McConnell responded by again calling randomness the priority.
“Well, I think in the middle of a presidential election, if you have a senate from the presidential opposing party, you have to go back to the 1880s to find out when a vacancy was last filled,” he said without mentioning that it wasn’t actually blocked. “That’s why I think it’s very unlikely. In fact, no, I don’t think that if a party is in control, if it differs from the president, it would validate a candidate for the Supreme Court in the middle of an election. What was different in 2020 was that we belonged to the same party as the President. “
“And that’s why we followed it up,” added McConnell.
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell says @hughhewitt he would not allow President Biden to fill a SCOTUS vacancy in 2024 if he is majority leader. pic.twitter.com/9gYAqXmyQD
– The Recount (@therecount) June 14, 2021
The U.S. Constitution says nothing about party control in confirming a candidate for the Supreme Court, and in fact the founders warned of the dangers of even having political parties.
During the interview, Hewitt attributed McConnell’s blockade of President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court candidate to Donald Trump’s election victory. Obama nominated then Judge Merrick Garland 237 days before election day. McConnell boasted that his blockade is “the most momentous thing I have done in my time as Senate Majority Leader.”
Legal experts condemn McConnell.
“Nor am I convinced that a Republican-controlled Senate will ever validate another Democratic president’s appeals court nominee,” said Mark Joseph Stern, a Slate employee. “* Maybe * a tiny handful, but usually the Republicans will keep those seats open. They all admitted that! “
I am sorry to repeat myself, but I am truly amazed at the seemingly widespread belief that a Republican-controlled Senate will ever again validate a candidate for the Supreme Court of a Democratic President. It just won’t happen. Not in your life, not mine, not anyone’s. https://t.co/3HxisAM3ai
– Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 14, 2021
Democrats should assume that if Republicans win the Senate in 2022, they will refuse to validate any of Biden’s candidates in the appeals courts or the Supreme Court. It will be like the 2015-2016 blockade – but worse because of what Republicans have gotten through in the meantime.
– Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 14, 2021
Clinton White House official, Harvard trained attorney, CNN political commentator Keith Boykin:
Mitch McConnell will block any Biden candidate for the Supreme Court if Republicans control the Senate through 2024.
Now tell Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema that bipartisanism is a lie and the filibuster needs to be eliminated.
And tell Stephen Breyer to retire. Https://t.co/Ryzi1AQHkL
– Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 14, 2021
Legal Affairs Editor, Condé Nast Luke Zaleski:
We are living through an endless cycle of Republican abuse of power and obstruction of justice that has seen two impeachments and one ongoing insurrection. There is no end, no bottom, they just won’t conform to government or judicial imperatives
– Luke Zaleski (@ZaleskiLuke) June 14, 2021
National Security Attorney Brad Moss:
This is my not shocked face https://t.co/4NIyImIrjd
– Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) June 14, 2021
Voting Rights Expert and Contributing Writer at The Nation Ari Berman:
Mitch McConnell blocked Merrick Garland 8 months before the election but confirmed Amy Coney Barrett 8 days before the election when 65 million had already voted
And now he says he would do it again
– Ari Berman (@AriBerman) June 14, 2021
Suffrage expert, professor of law and political science at UC Irvine Rick Hasen:
Just like I wrote last week. McConnell will NOT have a seat in Breyer if he is the majority leader, even if he has to wait 2 years with the seat open.
https://t.co/n4Wvm0I99b https://t.co/Pm5NqyVdUV
– Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) June 14, 2021
U.S. Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey:
Mitch McConnell already suggests that he will steal a seat in the 3rd Supreme Court if he gets the chance.
He’s done it before and he will do it again.
We need to expand the Supreme Court. https://t.co/TVs0JQuB5y
– Ed Markey (deSenMarkey) June 14, 2021
Comments are closed.