Senate Democrats want to block the chamber from holding a vote to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Tension is rising between lawmakers in Washington, D.C., in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday.
Democratic senators intend to do whatever they can to block the chamber from holding a vote to replace Ginsburg on the bench, should President Donald Trump put forth a nominee ahead of the November election, CNN reports.
Senate Democrats, who are in the minority, on Saturday considered tactics to keep the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell from putting up a new justice prior to Nov. 3. With a 53-seat majority, Senate Republicans have vowed to push through a pick as soon as possible, despite McConnell’s move to block a vote on then-President Barack Obama‘s pick in Judge Merrick Garland to fill the Supreme Court seat left open by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, months prior to the November election that year.
As a result, several methods to halt it are being considered.
READ MORE: Hillary Clinton reflects on Ginsburg, warns of GOP’s attempt to ‘enact the greatest travesty’
One of those methods would be to drag out the nomination and confirmation process by bringing the chamber to a stop, objecting routine business for the day. Although McConnell could garner the support of at least 51 senators to vote against that, some Republicans have come out against holding a vote on a new appointee before Nov. 3.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, stated that she does not want a Justice chosen until the election. She noted McConnell’s move to block Obama’s nomination of Garland as a reason behind her decision not to support a vote before the election, calling it “a double standard.”
READ MORE: Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s dying wish: ‘I will not be replaced until a new president is installed’
Senate Democrats are also considering pushing legislation to increase the number of seats on the Supreme Court, should Trump make a third appointment to the Court.
The Guardian reports that Trump stated that he will announce a nominee for Ginsburg’s seat next week, and he intends to select another woman to fill it.
The fastest amount of days a confirmation took for a Justice was Ginsburg, with 50 days.
Election Days is 44 days away.
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