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Hawley says Democrats have threatened to ‘burn down the Constitution’ on SCOTUS confirmation

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Democrats in Washington have ripped Republicans for forging ahead with the confirmation of a new U.S. Supreme Court justice after Friday’s death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, says if Republicans do not move forward, they will have a hard time explaining the decision to voters. During an appearance Monday on Fox & Friends, Hawley, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the U.S. Supreme Court was a central issue in the 2018 election.

U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R) speaks to Missourinet during an interview on March 25, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Senator Hawley’s office)

“To say because they lost elections, that now that they will break all of our constitutional norms and standards, they’ll pack courts, they’ll conduct impeachment hearings to stop the president from carrying forward his constitutionally-authorized privileges and responsibilities – that’s insane,” says Hawley. “This is the same party that looks the other way while rioters and looters burn down our towns. Now the Democrats are saying they’ll burn down the Constitution.”

President Donald Trump says he plans to announce a nominee this week to fill the vacancy and vows to choose a woman. Hawley says the Senate could wrap up the confirmation process before Election Day.

“Less than three I would think. I would hope in the range of a week. It will be up to the chairman, Lindsey Graham, to put a schedule together,” says Hawley. “But I will just tell you, I think it should as quickly as possible. We need to move forward here.”

Hawley says he will only vote to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominees who publicly oppose the Roe vs. Wade court ruling that legalized abortion nationwide.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, joined the CBS political show “Face the Nation” on Sunday to give his position on the matter. He also thinks the confirmation process should begin.

The current U.S. Senate party breakdown is 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said the upper chamber should note vote to confirm Ginsburg’s successor before the election. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said ahead of reports of Ginsburg’s death that she would not vote to confirm a nominee before the election. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a call with Iowa reporters in July that he would not recommend holding a hearing on a candidate.

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Blunt says vote on SCOTUS nominee different than 2016

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday has unleashed a political brawl on Capitol Hill ahead of the November General Election. President Donald Trump says he plans to announce a nominee this week to fill the vacancy and vows to choose a woman.

From left: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, President Donald Trump, Missouri U.S. Senator Roy Blunt

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, says Trump’s nominee will receive a vote. Whether the vote will happen before or after November 3 is unknown but the comments have triggered cries of hypocrisy from Democrats.

U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, joined the CBS political show “Face the Nation” on Sunday to give his position on the matter. He defended his decision to begin the confirmation process.

“The Constitution is the Constitution. And, you know, it takes two things to replace a Supreme Court judge: one is the president has to nominate and two is the Senate has to determine that they want to deal with that issue at that time,” said Blunt. “And I don’t know that- even with President Obama I said not only will he nominate a replacement in this vacancy, but he probably has a constitutional obligation, just like President Trump does today, to make a nomination– President Trump will.”

Host Margaret Brennan referred to 2016 when she cited Blunt refusing to even meet with President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland.

“And you said at the time, Americans will be voting in just a few months and that election should help determine the next member of the Supreme Court. Why has your position changed? Is it simply because Republicans are in power,” asked Brennan.

Blunt referred to comments he said he made several times during the 2016 vacancy.

“Which is two things have to happen for a person to go on the Supreme Court. And in the tradition of the country, when the Senate and the president were in political agreement, no matter what was the election situation, the judges went on the Court and other courts. When they weren’t in agreement, they didn’t. And we were in a situation in 2016 where the White House was controlled by one party, the Senate by another. And the referee in that case was going to be the American people. In this case, both the- the White House and the Senate have some obligation to do what they think in the majority in the Senate is the right thing to do. And there is a Senate majority put there by voters,” said Blunt.

Should we expect the hearings to start before November 3rd?

“You know, I don’t know. That’ll be up to when we- when we get the nominee, what kind of vetting needs to be done,” he said. “If we get it this week, what kind of vetting needs to be done and then what Chairman (Lindsey) Graham, R-South Carolina, decides he can do. This should take as long as it needs to take,” said Blunt.

He has not heard whether a hearing will be held before Election Day.

“This should take as long as it needs to take, but no longer. There is plenty of time to get this done. But to get it done before Election Day, everything has to work, I think, pretty precisely. There- Ruth Bader Ginsburg was confirmed, nominated and confirmed, in 40 days. Other justices have taken longer than that. And I don’t know how this process will move forward,” he said.

The current U.S. Senate party breakdown is 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and 2 Independents who caucus with Democrats. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has said the upper chamber should note vote to confirm Ginsburg’s successor before the election. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said ahead of reports of Ginsburg’s death that she would not vote to confirm a nominee before the election. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said in a call with Iowa reporters in July that he would not recommend holding a hearing on a candidate.

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Missouri officials react to the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg

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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday due to complications of pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by family at her home in Washington, D.C. at the time of her death. Ginsburg was 87 years old.

She was nominated to the court by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The U.S. Senate voted 96-3 in favor of confirming Ginsburg. Missouri U.S. Senators Jack Danforth and Kit Bond, both Republicans, supported her confirmation. Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the highest court in the land.

The news of her death has Americans from various political backgrounds sharing their thoughts, including in Missouri.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement Friday saying his chamber will vote to fill the court vacancy left by Justice Ginsburg. It does not say whether the vote will happen before or after November’s election.

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