• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
McConnell Dodges Question on Whether He Would Block a SCOTUS Nominee in 2023

McConnell Dodges Question on Whether He Would Block a SCOTUS Nominee in 2023

June 15, 2021
Sen. Ruben Gallego Boasts About Using Filibuster To Block Trump Agenda After Campaigning To Abolish It

Sen. Ruben Gallego Boasts About Using Filibuster To Block Trump Agenda After Campaigning To Abolish It

May 10, 2025
REPS LISA MCCLAIN, JULIE FEDORCHAK And PATRICE ONWUKA: Women Know The Value Of Tax Cuts To Our Economy

REPS LISA MCCLAIN, JULIE FEDORCHAK And PATRICE ONWUKA: Women Know The Value Of Tax Cuts To Our Economy

May 10, 2025
Dem Senate Candidates Running In ‘Toss-Up’ States Co-Sponsor Bill To Eliminate Women’s Sports

Dem Senate Candidates Running In ‘Toss-Up’ States Co-Sponsor Bill To Eliminate Women’s Sports

May 10, 2025
‘Paying Far More Attention’: Rubio Turns His Gaze To America’s Backyard After Years Of Neglect From Washington

‘Paying Far More Attention’: Rubio Turns His Gaze To America’s Backyard After Years Of Neglect From Washington

May 10, 2025
‘Team That Refuses To Win’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts GOP Elites While Passing On Georgia Senate Run

‘Team That Refuses To Win’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Blasts GOP Elites While Passing On Georgia Senate Run

May 10, 2025
Cops Without Citizenship: New Mexico Law Opens Police Force To Non-Citizens

Cops Without Citizenship: New Mexico Law Opens Police Force To Non-Citizens

May 10, 2025
DAVID BLACKMON: Chris Wright Has To Clean Up Joe Biden’s Mess

DAVID BLACKMON: Chris Wright Has To Clean Up Joe Biden’s Mess

May 10, 2025
JACK POSOBIEC: The Left’s Cognitive Dissonance Has Turned To Violence

JACK POSOBIEC: The Left’s Cognitive Dissonance Has Turned To Violence

May 10, 2025
Pollster Explains Why Democrats Choose To Double Down On What Already Blew Up In Their Faces

Pollster Explains Why Democrats Choose To Double Down On What Already Blew Up In Their Faces

May 9, 2025
Judge Allows CIA To Fire Official Who Played Role In Biden’s Military COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Judge Allows CIA To Fire Official Who Played Role In Biden’s Military COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

May 9, 2025
If You Thought Kamala Uttered One Too Many Word Salads Then Watch Gavin Newsom Go On About Trade

If You Thought Kamala Uttered One Too Many Word Salads Then Watch Gavin Newsom Go On About Trade

May 9, 2025
‘Worst Of The Worst’: Trump Admin Official Details ‘Circus’ Surrounding Democrats’ Attempt To Enter ICE Facility

‘Worst Of The Worst’: Trump Admin Official Details ‘Circus’ Surrounding Democrats’ Attempt To Enter ICE Facility

May 9, 2025
  • Donald Trump
  • State of the Union
  • Elon Musk
  • Tariffs
  • Congress
  • Faith
  • Immigration
Sunday, May 11, 2025
  • Login
IJR
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls
No Result
View All Result
IJR
No Result
View All Result
Home News

McConnell Dodges Question on Whether He Would Block a SCOTUS Nominee in 2023

by Bradley Cortright
June 15, 2021 at 7:07 pm
in News
242 10
0
McConnell Dodges Question on Whether He Would Block a SCOTUS Nominee in 2023
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is not saying whether he would block President Joe Biden from filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court in 2023 if Republicans regained control of the chamber in the midterm elections.

The Kentucky lawmaker said on Monday that if Republicans were in the majority in the Senate and a vacancy opened up on the court in the midst of the 2024 election cycle, he would block Biden from filling. But he did not say if he would let Biden fill a vacancy as early in 2023.

McConnell was asked by CNN’s Manu Raju on Tuesday, “Are you saying that if you’re the majority leader in 2023 and there’s a vacancy on the Supreme Court, you will not move on a Biden nominee?”

“When I made the decision I did back in 2016 with regard to a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring in a presidential year. I was very much aware of the fact that when you have divided government, there had not been a nominee by a Senate of a different party from the president since the 1880s,” McConnell said.

He continued, “I was also aware that Joe Biden, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in 1992 a time of divided government had said had a vacancy occurred they would not fill it.”

“So what I said yesterday, Manu, was simply to repeat the position I took in 2016. I’m absolutely confident if the shoe had been on the other foot, the other side would have done the same thing,” he added.

As he started to move on to another a question, a separate reporter can be heard noting that “2023 isn’t an election year.”

However, he did not clarify if he would move to fill a vacancy that year.

Watch the video below:

CNN's @mkraju asks Sen. Minority Leader McConnell if he meant what he said Monday, that he would block a Supreme Court nominee in 2023/24 if he is in the majority.

McConnell evades the question and revisits his "divided government" no-vote for Merrick Garland in 2016. pic.twitter.com/dm5V3hwFbV

— The Recount (@therecount) June 15, 2021

During an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Monday, McConnell was asked, “Would the rule that you applied in 2016 to the Scalia vacancy apply in 2024 to any vacancy that occurred then?”

“Well, I think in the middle of a presidential election, if you have a Senate of the opposite party of the president, you have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy was filled,” McConnell said, adding, “So, I think it’s highly unlikely. In fact, no. I don’t think either party, if it controlled, if it were different from the president, would confirm a Supreme Court nominee in the middle of an election.”

In April, McConnell signaled he plans to put up stiff resistance to Biden’s agenda as he said he would “fight them every step of the way because I think this is the wrong prescription for America.”

On Tuesday, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said he hopes to block Biden from getting much done after the 2022 midterm elections.

“I want to make Joe Biden a one-half-term president. And I want to do that by making sure they no longer have the House, Senate, and White House,” he said at a Ripon Society event.

Tags: Joe BidenMitch McConnellpoliticsSupreme Court
Share196Tweet123
Bradley Cortright

Bradley Cortright

IJR, Senior Writer He's written for Independent Journal Review since 2019.

Advertisements

Top Stories June 10th
Top Stories June 7th
Top Stories June 6th
Top Stories June 3rd
Top Stories May 30th
Top Stories May 29th
Top Stories May 24th
Top Stories May 23rd
Top Stories May 21st
Top Stories May 17th

Join Over 6M Subscribers

We’re organizing an online community to elevate trusted voices on all sides so that you can be fully informed.





IJR

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Trusted Voices On All Sides

  • About Us
  • GDPR Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Editorial Standards & Corrections Policy
  • Subscribe to IJR

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Politics
  • US News
  • Commentary
  • World News
  • Faith
  • Latest Polls

    Copyright © 2024 IJR

Top Stories June 10th Top Stories June 7th Top Stories June 6th Top Stories June 3rd Top Stories May 30th Top Stories May 29th Top Stories May 24th Top Stories May 23rd Top Stories May 21st Top Stories May 17th