Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday evening defended his drive to seat the following Supreme Court justice before Americans visit the polls in November.
“The before I looked, there’s no presidential election this holiday season,” McConnell told Fox News anchor Shannon Bream.
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McConnell disregarded accusations from Senate Democrats that he’s being hypocritical for wanting a fast confirmation method to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, after he refused to contemplate President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, citing a belief right at that moment that this presidential campaign is underway plus the American people must be able to weigh in their voice.
Democrats have bemoaned Garland’s treatment and get sounded the alarm over what another conservative justice means for such issues as affirmative action, abortion rights, gay rights along with the death penalty.
“Sounds like they’re all set to fight regardless who the nominee,” McConnell said, adding that three Democrats supported Neil Gorsuch’s nomination.
President Donald Trump’s victory, coupled with McConnell’s decision to depart a vacancy in the game, allowed for the confirmation of Gorsuch, who is considered a far more conservative jurist than Garland. Gorsuch has played a pivotal role in recent decisions that reined in the power unions and affirmed Trump’s chance to implement a travel ban.
But accusations of hypocrisy are unfair, McConnell said, as they specifically mentioned that his decision in 2016 was belonging to the presidential election. Actually is well liked noticed that past presidents have nominated justices during midterm election years. Presidents Obama, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan all nominated justices in a very midterm election year and were confirmed. Before Garland, a nominee some Republicans refused to even talk with, five justices were nominated to fill vacancies at basketball and confirmed after a presidential election year.