In the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Democrats are pushing revisionist history on the Senate’s constitutional duty of giving advice and consent in the filling of vacancies on the bench of the high court. Led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Democrats vow to use “every tool at their disposal” to block the confirmation of a new justice before the election. Selectively citing the precedent set by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2016, Democrats now oppose seating a justice during an election year, after previously demanding that Senate Republicans “do their jobs” and fill the seat of former Justice Antonin Scalia ahead of the 2016 general election.
While Sen. Schumer hopes to flip the majority in the upper chamber, he shields battleground state candidates from the public eye in his infamous “windowless basement,” but the candidates all took a signal from Sen. Schumer to oppose a Supreme Court nomination ahead of the election.
North Carolinians are already voting and will continue to do so in the coming weeks. They deserve that opportunity to have their voices heard, and then, it should be up to the next President and next Senate to fill the vacancy on our Court.
— Cal Cunningham (@CalforNC) September 19, 2020
When it comes to making a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, Washington shouldn’t rush that process for political purposes. This is a decision that will impact Arizonans, especially with an upcoming case about health care and protections for pre-existing conditions.
— Captain Mark Kelly (@CaptMarkKelly) September 20, 2020
Access to health care – including protections for pre-existing conditions – civil rights, reproductive rights and so much more are at stake. Mainers & Americans should have their voices heard, and the vacancy on the Supreme Court should be filled by the next President and Senate.
— Sara Gideon (@SaraGideon) September 19, 2020
Iowans are independent thinkers and voters -- we don’t need politicians in Washington who ignore what we think. We should respect our independent voices in Iowa by waiting to fill this Supreme Court seat until the next Senate and President we’re about to vote for take office.
— Theresa Greenfield (@GreenfieldIowa) September 19, 2020
Health care protections for pre-existing conditions.
— Gary Peters (@GaryPeters) September 20, 2020
Roe v Wade and women's health care.
Putting workers ahead of special corporate interests.
Civil rights, voting rights and so much more are on the line.
Voters should have their voices heard.
The Senate must not confirm a new Supreme Court Justice until after a new President is sworn in next year. Senator Gardner must uphold the commitment he set more than four years ago and allow the President elected in November to make this decision.
— John Hickenlooper (@Hickenlooper) September 19, 2020
For the sake of millions whose health care is at risk, with so much more on the line, with voting already underway:
— Jon Ossoff (@ossoff) September 19, 2020
The people must speak at the ballot box first.
Then let the Court reflect the will of our newly elected President and Senate.
A Supreme Court vacancy changes competitive races and will undoubtedly drive voter turnout. In the 2018 midterm elections, after the controversial, blisteringly partisan confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, every Democrat in a competitive senate race who opposed Kavanaugh’s confirmation ultimately lost their election.