Republicans Eager to Quickly Fill Late Justice Ginsburg's Vacant Seat

By Lyon Li ‘23

In light of the recent passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel vowed on Friday that the candidate President Donald Trump nominates to replace the seat of the late justice will get a vote on the Senate floor. This raises the prospect of a historic fight in Congress over one of the most polarizing issues in politics today.

President Trump has since said that he will move “without delay” to fill the seat left vacant. Joined by Senate GOP leaders, the president embarks on what will likely be one of the most ferocious confirmation battles in the history of Congress. Some are calling the actions of the president hypocritical after denying former President Obama a chance to pick a replacement after the passing of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016. Mr. McConnell, however, says that the current situation is different than that of 2016, as now both the White House and the Senate are controlled by the GOP. Members of the Democratic party are demanding that Mr. McConnel and his fellow members of the Republican party keep with the precedent they set four years ago and not fill the seat until after the election.

Currently, Senate Republicans hold a 53-47 majority vote over the Democratic Caucus, meaning that they could have three Senators vote with the Democrats and still get the confirmation through, with Vice President Mike Pence’s tie-breaking vote, giving the Republicans a major edge in their efforts to confirm a new Justice. 

North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis believes that POTUS Donald Trump should make his pick for the seat and the voters of the US can judge him for it at the ballot box. This decision, if made, will have lasting impact for the coming decades that will be irreversible by the next President.