Biden Speaks Out on Death of RBG: ‘Voters Should Pick the President and the President Should Pick the Justice’

Former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden spoke out about the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, arguing that her seat on the Supreme Court should not be filled until after the 2020 election.

“There is no doubt, let me be clear, that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider,” Biden said.

The vice president, who as a senator presided over Ginsburg’s nomination, delivered a eulogy of the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not only a giant in the legal profession, but a beloved figure, and my heart goes out to all those who cared for her and care about her,” Biden told assembled reporters. “She was fierce and unflinching in her pursuit of the civil rights of everyone.”

He then addressed the vacancy on the court:

Tonight in the coming days, we should focus on the loss of the justice and her enduring legacy. But there is no doubt, let me be clear, the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider. This was the position the Republican Senate took in 2016 when there were almost 10 months to go before the election. That’s the position the United States Senate must take today. And the election is only 46 days off, I think the fastest justice ever confirmed was 47 days. And the average is closer to 70 days. And so they should do this with full consideration. And that is my hope and expectation.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Friday that he would move forward with a vote on whoever Trump nominates to replace Ginsburg. The president, according to reporting from Axios, is expected to move within days to nominate a new justice.