Amid intense election year pressure on Republicans to back swift action on a Supreme Court vacancy created by the death last week of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) on Tuesday announced that he would support the President making a nomination, and the Senate then voting on that nominee, paving the way for GOP action.
“I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the President’s nominee,” Romney said in a written statement.
The Utah Republican argued Senate precedent is clear, that a party which controls both the White House and Senate have moved ahead with Supreme Court nominations in a presidential election year.
The announcement from Romney - often a thorn in the side of President Donald Trump - all but guarantees that Republicans will have enough votes to move forward on a nominee to fill the seat of Justice Ginsburg, who died Friday.
My statement regarding the current Supreme Court vacancy: pic.twitter.com/6YO0dPWWXc
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) September 22, 2020
Romney’s decision came as GOP Senators fell in line behind Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Trump, pressing ahead with plans to consider a Supreme Court nomination in the final weeks of the 2020 elections.
“President Trump’s nominee for this vacancy will receive a vote on the floor of the Senate,” McConnell declared on Monday, belittling complaints from Democrats, who pointed out that Republicans had refused to act on a 2016 nominee from President Barack Obama.
“The U.S. Senate has never before confirmed a Supreme Court nominee this close to a presidential election,” countered Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer.
But with no option to filibuster the nomination - Republicans did away with that on Supreme Court nominees in 2017 - Democrats had to rely on GOP opposition to stop the President.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) had said they oppose acting now on a nomination - but no others have joined them - leaving Democrats two votes short.
CO GOP Sen. Gardner, in tough reelection fight, says he’ll vote to support a nominee for U.S Supreme Court this election year. https://t.co/jUmd46fZJT
— Mitchell Miller (@mmillerwtop) September 22, 2020
It’s still not clear when a vote in the Senate will occur.
White House officials indicate the President will make an announcement on a new Supreme Court nomination on Saturday.