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A second Republican senator from the United States has spoken out against a quick succession arrangement for the late Constitutional Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Lisa Murkowski of the state of Alaska announced Sunday that she stands firm in her position that a Supreme Court vacancy should not be dealt with shortly before the presidential election.
His Republican colleague Susan Collins (Maine) had previously stated that, in his view, the winner of the November 3 US presidential election should hold the seat for life. Constitutional judges in the United States are nominated by the president and approved by the Senate. With the current majority, the replacement would fail if four Republican senators don’t vote for him, as long as no Democrats side with him.
Replacement before the end of the term
US President Donald Trump wants to fill the Ginsburg seat before his current term expires on January 20, 2021. He wants to nominate a woman as his successor in the coming days. The leader of the Republican majority in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, has already announced that there will be a vote.
Republicans currently hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate. As of November 30, it could only be 52: In Arizona, according to polls, Democrat Mark Kelly has a good chance of replacing Republican Martha McSally. Since it is a special vote, the winner could be sworn in as senator at the end of November. Republicans need at least 50 votes; In the event of a deadlock, the Vice President of the United States, currently Mike Pence, who is running again with Trump, can contribute the decisive vote.
Lockdown after the death of Antonin Scalia
“In 2016 I did not support a nomination eight months before the election,” Murkowski wrote. At the time, Republicans in the Senate blocked a candidate from President Barack Obama to succeed the late Conservative Constitutional Judge Antonin Scalia. “Now the 2020 elections are even closer, less than two months away, and I am convinced that we should apply the same criteria.”
The wording leaves open the possibility of voting after the presidential election. Along with the presidential elections, this year more than 35 seats will be voted in the Senate. The new Senate will not meet until next year. This would also make possible a constellation, for example, in which Donald Trump wins re-election, but Republicans lose a majority in the Senate. Then they would have a chance to take the Ginsburg seat before the end of the year. Both Murkowski and Collins are considered moderates and have repeatedly sought their party’s consensus with Democrats in the past.
