Marco Rubio encourages President Trump to press forward with Supreme Court nomination
Image via AP.

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Two GOP Senators have spoken out against holding a vote before the election.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio encouraged President Donald Trump on Monday to press forward with his nomination of a third Supreme Court justice – a decision that would shape the court for decades.

Trump and Republican leadership are moving fast to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The decision to do so before the 2020 Presidential election has outraged some Democrats, who are calling foul after Senate Republicans in 2018 rejected to hold a confirmation hearing for Merrick Garland because it was an election year.

Rubio in a statement justified President Barack Obama‘s denied nomination and Trump’s pending nomination as part of the Constitutional process.

“In 2016, President Obama exercised his Constitutional duty and nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, and the Senate exercised its Constitutional obligation and decided not to consent,” the Senator said. “Now, President Trump should exercise his duty to name a nominee. And the Senate should once again exercise its Constitutional obligation and decide whether or not to consent to his choice.”

Trump has vowed to replace Ginsburg with another woman. He’s also floated two Florida justices as potential additions to the Supreme Court. Barbara Lagoa and Carlos Muñiz, a former and a current member of the Florida Supreme Court, both were among a 20-name list the President introduced to media at the White House earlier this month.

Trump on Monday morning, however, stopped short of signaling excitement for now federal Judge Lagoa during an interview with Fox & Friends.

Regardless of the President’s pick, he and Republican leadership will need to ensure rank-and-file party members toe the line should a nomination come to fruition. Republicans only hold 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats. Thus far, two GOP senators — Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine – have spoken out against holding a vote before the election.

Rubio in his statement said he will consent to a nomination so long as the candidate satisfies his standard.

“I will review the record of President Trump’s nominee, and I will provide my consent if I find they are qualified and will respect the law as written,” Rubio continued.“If I conclude they do not meet this standard, as I did in 2016, I will withhold consent. And unlike President Obama in 2016, President Trump is on the ballot and can be rewarded or held accountable for his choice in November.”

Ginsburg died Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87 and revered as the court’s second female justice.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Monday that Ginsburg will lie in state in the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall on Friday.

She will be the first woman to receive the honor.

Jason Delgado

Jason Delgado covers news out of the Florida State Capitol. After a go with the U.S. Army, the Orlando-native attended the University of Central Florida and earned a degree in American Policy and National Security. His past bylines include WMFE-NPR and POLITICO Florida. He'd love to hear from you. You can reach Jason by email ([email protected]) or on Twitter at @byJasonDelgado.


8 comments

  • S.B. ANTHONY

    September 21, 2020 at 7:07 pm

    He said this in 2016. “I don’t think we should be moving on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term — I would say that if it was a Republican president.” Hypocrite and a liar.

  • Gail

    September 21, 2020 at 7:41 pm

    I agree. Fill the position with the most conservative judge you can find.

    Republican / Democrat Positions: Undecided?

    1. Free Healthcare for Illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients & their families. Taxpayer-funded with one estimate at $52 trillion.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    2. Citizenship for 20 to 50 million illegal aliens, DACA, TPS recipients, and their families with a cost of billions to taxpayers.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    3. De-fund Police. Biden is doing his best to walk this back. In the Senate (so there’s a record), Kamala Harris called it “re-imagine law enforcement.” Biden recently stated he was in favor, quote “redirecting law enforcement funds.” If Biden/Harris is elected, you know what will happen.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    4. Biden has stated he will raise taxes to over 71 trillion. With this Democrat platform, he will have to.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans NO TAX INCREASES / TAX CUTS.

    5. Sanctuary Cities & States. Biden & Harris supports sanctuary cities.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    6. Coal / Fracking: I don’t understand how voters in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Illinois, West Virginia can even consider voting for Biden? You do realize that as soon as Biden/Harris takes office. Fracking, Coal Mining jobs are long gone You’re voting for your own unemployment in these states people.

    (The Democrat Governors in these states know this. Sacrifice jobs of their citizens for a Biden Presidency. The true definition of swine.)

    7. Immediately end all deportations of illegal aliens, Bernie’s website calls it a “moratorium” on deportations.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    8. Reparations for the race’s harmed by Caucasians. Biden & Kamala Harris committed to Al Sharpton to support Sheila Jackson Lee’s reparations bill in the House. Basically, a tax will be levied on all people of Caucasian descent in America. The funds distributed to African Americans. (you can’t make this stuff up)

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    9, De-fund & terminate border patrol & ICE. Funds redistributed to other programs.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    10. The 2nd Amendment will be under attack even more under Biden. Biden stated, “Beto O’Rourke will be his gun Czar,” “Hel yeah I’m coming for your guns.”

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    11. Medicare for all: Ending of all private / employer-based health care Feds run everything. This is Kamala Harris’s baby. Kiss goodbye to your healthcare plan if Biden/Harris is elected. Taxpayer-funded at a cost of trillions.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    12. Free college for all, including illegal aliens & non-citizens Bernie Sanders’s plan adopted. (taxpayer-funded with estimates in the billions).

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    13. Immediately decriminalize all illegal entry into our country. So no need for the Border Patrol.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    14. Open Borders.

    Democrats Yes.
    Republicans No.

    The Democrats want to sell us that Biden is a “centrists.” Biden has been a liberal democrat his entire career. How else could he be Obamas VP? and why would he pick a socialist in Kamala Harris? Joe’s “centrist” policies include free health care for illegal aliens, trillions in taxes on the middle class, and once again, like his hero Obama, ship our jobs overseas and flooding our country with illegal aliens.

    • Mike Ramos

      September 22, 2020 at 3:32 am

      Gail is trying to be a bigger liar than Donald Trump. It is a contest you will never be able to win Gail. You need to take your racist, xenophobic lies and go back to whatever country you came from. Here in the United States of America we do not allow people, especially women, to be better liars than our Lord Donald Trump.

      • James Robert Miles

        September 22, 2020 at 11:01 am

        Yadda, Yadda Yadda, nothing new here but the same old distorted B.S. direct from faux “news” which is Trump’s own personal propaganda station. His shills and lemmings don;t know what truth is because their dear leader does NOTHING but lie!! Suckers and losers, all of them as they condone Trump’s destruction of the U.S.! DUMP TRUMP 2020 Rid America of the fascist, extremist GOP cult.

        • Tjb

          September 22, 2020 at 1:26 pm

          Gail is drinking the White House kool aid. She is vomiting the misinformation from the propaganda machine of the bigoted far right, It the time for little Marco to man up and not be a puppet for Trump.
          And a final passing thought … the miners have already lost their jobs … trumps policies for the miners have only made the owners richer.

  • Nicholas Whitehead

    September 22, 2020 at 3:21 am

    Soulless, Hypocrite, Swine.

    • Sonja Fitch

      September 22, 2020 at 6:00 am

      There is no Republican Party! There is only goptrump cult losers like Marco Rubio! Dear God have mercy on Rubios soul! What a wAAh! Vote Blue!

  • Ocean Joe

    September 22, 2020 at 12:21 pm

    So hard to comprehend how Trump reduced the greatest military and economic superpower the world has ever known to the mess we are in right now simply because he would not listen to his own REPUBLICAN staff about covid.

    Marco, get your judge now while you can. And when they strip health insurance from all the mamacitas in Little Havana be ready to ‘splain it. And what will you tell the Dreamers. “But, but, but…I like his policies.”

Comments are closed.


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