Senate Democrats will attempt to block President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, regardless of who the president selects to fill the vacancy.
Advertisement
Previously, President Trump had tweeted that the pick would be made this coming Thursday.
But after Republican lawmakers’ refusal to grant a hearing past year to former President Barack Obama’s appointee, Judge Merrick Garland, Democrats are readying for a confirmation fight and may try to block Trump’s choice.
In recent weeks, Sykes’ stock appears to have fallen with Trump, with the New York Times reporting January 24 that the three final judges under consideration were Pryor, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the federal appeals court in Denver and Judge Thomas M. Hardiman of the federal appeals court in Pittsburgh.
Many conservatives have said they hope the pick doesn’t turn out to be a “Souter”, a reference to Justice David Souter appointed under George H.W. Bush.
President Obama sought to replace Scalia with Merrick Garland, but he was stymied by a Republican-controlled Senate in the previous year of his presidential term.
The nominee must be confirmed for the lifetime post by the U.S. Senate, which is controlled by Trump’s fellow Republicans with a 52-48 majority.
The Supreme Court now has three conservative voices in Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and Justice Clarence Thomas.
Congress confirmed two more of Mr. Trump’s nominees last week – CIA Director Mike Pompeo and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley – and took steps forward on several others by approving them in committee votes.
In an interview with CNN, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed that he and other Democrats would resist against any Supreme Court nominee that they find to be “out of the mainstream”. Not unlike the various members of Trump’s cabinet, some of whom are still unconfirmed as the call for additional hearings has been made. “They’re going to put up a fight no matter who the president nominates”.
The final pick is “a person who is unbelievably highly respected”, said Mr. Trump, adding, “I think you will be very impressed with this person”. He previously served as Alabama’s attorney general, preceding Senator Jeff Sessions, Mr Trump’s choice for United States attorney general. Democrats running for re-election next year in states Trump won in 2016 could face political consequences for their party’s attempted obstruction.
If Democrats decide to try to filibuster and McConnell can’t get enough Democratic votes to overcome it, he’ll have a major decision to make.
Trump went on to say that he favored overturning Roe v. Wade and that, “I will appoint Supreme Court judges who will be pro-life”.
Because Republicans control the Senate, they have the power to prevent a hearing or a vote.
Advertisement
Opponents cite the Hobby Lobby ruling and a dissenting position Judge Neil Gorsuch took in the 10th Circuit’s ruling against the Denver-based Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic order that runs nursing homes for impoverished seniors. Republicans, by contrast, have picked seven justices – Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, David Souter, Samuel Alito and John Roberts – and more than half have defected to vote with the court’s liberal bloc on critical issues.
