Murkowski Clarifies She Will Not Rule Out Voting on Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is not ruling out voting on President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court pick to fill the seat left vacant by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“I know everybody wants to ask the question, ‘Will you confirm the nominee?'” Murkowski said on Tuesday.

She added, “We don’t have a nominee yet. You and I don’t know who that is. And so I can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is.”

While she is not ruling out voting on Trump’s nominee, she reiterated she does not support a confirmation ahead of the upcoming November election.

“I do not support this process moving forward. Now, having said that, this process is moving forward with or without me,” Murkowski said.

She continued, “If I had felt that there was a rush to move this through because you’re up against a deadline that is hard and fast, like an election, and that a nominee had not been thoroughly and fairly evaluated through our process, then I’m going to have to look at that.”

Murkowski’s comments come just days after she released a statement to voice her disapproval of taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election, as IJR previously reported.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) similarly voiced her concern with filling the seat prior to the election.

She made it clear in her statement she believes the seat should be filled by the next president.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) — who has been critical of Trump in the past — said he will support holding a vote on Trump’s potential pick, as IJR previously reported.

“I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the president’s nominee. If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications,” Romney said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) claimed Republicans have enough votes to confirm Ginsburg’s replacement.