Republican Susan Collins Breaks With GOP: Supreme Court Justice Should Be Decided by Next Election Winner
(Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins released a statement on Saturday saying she believes the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should be filled by the upcoming presidential election winner.
In the statement, released on Twitter, Collins said she would have no objection to President Donald Trump giving his nominee to the Senate Judiciary Committee to be vetted and reviewed. She also emphasized the need to act “fairly and consistently” in order to retain the faith of the American people. To do so, she said, the senate should not vote on confirmation of any nominee prior to election day.
“Given the proximity of the presidential election, however, I do not believe that the Senate should vote on the nominee prior to the election,” it reads. “In fairness to the American people, who will either be re-electing the President or selecting a new one, the decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd.”
My statement on the Supreme Court vacancy: pic.twitter.com/jvYyDN5gG4
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) September 19, 2020
Her fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said prior to Ruth Bader Ginsburg‘s passing that she would not vote to confirm a SCOTUS nominee prior to the 2020 presidential election. Collins is the first U.S. Republican Senator to officially declare the Senate should not hold a confirmation since the passing of RBG.
Currently, Republicans hold a 53 seat majority in the Senate, meaning they could not have more than three defections in order to confirm President Donald Trump‘s Supreme Court nominee.
