Clinton: Efforts to Fill Supreme Court Vacancy Is 'Another Blow to Our Institutions'
Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is criticizing Republicans for their efforts to fill Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat ahead of the November presidential election.
Clinton noted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set a precedent in 2016 to wait until the next president is elected to make a nomination, which they now appear ready to go back on.
“That is not what they are intending and it’s another blow to our institutions. What’s happening in our country is incredibly dangerous,” Clinton said during her appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
She added, “Our institutions are being basically undermined by the lust for power, power for personal gain in the case of the president, or power for institutional gain in the case of Mitch McConnell at the cost of ensuring that our institutions withstand whatever the political winds might be. They made this decision back in 2016 and they should be held account for it.”
Check out her comments below:
WATCH: @HillaryClinton says @SenJohnBarrasso did an "epic" job trying to "defend the indefensible" on #MTP when he said the GOP shouldn't follow their own 2016 precedent.
"That new precedent, which they all defended incredibly passionately, is to wait for the new president." pic.twitter.com/uRJelRlGx7
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 20, 2020
Clinton called the Senate judicial confirmation process “absolutely broken.”
The Supreme Court announced Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday, as IJR previously reported.
President Donald Trump paid respect to Ginsburg and told reporters, “She led an amazing life. Whether you agree or not, she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life.”
In a statement he released, he said, “May her memory be a great and magnificent blessing to the world.”
Trump’s new list of potential nominees includes Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Noel Francisco, who served as Trump’s solicitor general, and Paul Clement, who served as the solicitor general under former President George W. Bush.
Cruz told Fox News he does not want a position on the court and being on the list is “not the desire” of his heart.
He predicted Senate Republicans would have enough votes to confirm Trump’s pick before the November election, as IJR previously reported.
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