Mitch McConnell Says He Will Fill Ginsburg’s Seat with Trump Nominee, Gets Pushback From Chuck Schumer

It's unclear whether Republicans have votes to make new appointment before general election

(NBCNews.com) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Friday night that he intends to allow for a floor vote in the Senate to confirm a new nominee made by President Donald Trump to replace the Supreme Court vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

“In the last midterm election before Justice Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term. We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year,” he said.

He continued, “By contrast, Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary. Once again, we will keep our promise. President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”

But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday night that the Senate should not fill the vacancy left by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death “until we have a new president.”

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL STORY ON NBCNews.com>>>

Similar Stories