WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer is vowing that Democrats will not allow President Donald Trump to put “a right-winger” on the Supreme Court once they take power, raising the possibility that his party could block a presidential nominee if there is a vacancy in the next two years.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Schumer would not say if he would hold a Supreme Court vacancy open until after the next presidential election, as former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell did in 2016. But he said that Democrats are “not going to allow any crappy nominees” to be confirmed to the Supreme Court — or to the lower courts or Trump’s Cabinet, either.
“The bottom line is we’re not going to allow a right-winger on the court,” Schumer said.
Schumer’s pledge came two days after Democrats won a decisive Senate majority in the midterm elections — a feat few predicted a year ago, when Schumer was facing intense criticism from progressives within his party and Senate Republicans were betting that a favorable map and backing from Trump would help them keep power.
While there is still frustration with Schumer in some corners of the party, the New Yorker is expected to easily be reelected as leader by his caucus after leading them to wins in Republican-leaning states across the country. Democrats could have as many as 56 seats in the Senate if they win Mississippi and Alaska, which still have not been called — “a durable majority,” Schumer predicts, that has been 20 years in the making as he has been directly or indirectly in charge of his party’s Senate campaign operation.
I can’t believe Alito and Roberts didn’t retire in time to be replaced by other fascists. I mean, I can, those people are overall very unlikely to relinquish power but damn, what a terrible fail on their side.
I mean it’s something that both sides of the aisle have in common when it comes to the Supreme Court. Remember that Ruth Bader Ginsburg also refused to retire in 2013 when Obama could have named a Democratic judge to the SC.
Not just supreme court. Pelosi is about to retire at 86. Biden insisted on running for second term for so long he gave no time for Kamala to campaign. Feinstein served until she died even though she had severe dementia. All of those people love power so much they would rather die than let it go.
You could see a scenario where they pressure/rush Alito into retirement and force a replacement vote before the current Congress term ends. Not likely but possible. I think a more likely scenario unfortunately is that the parties take turns “reforming” the court every time they control the Senate and the Executive.