Sen. John McCain said Tuesday the decision to “go nuclear” and force a rule change to avoid a Democratic filibuster of President Trump’s Supreme Court is the result of a breakdown in comity between the parties.
Mr. McCain, Arizona Republican, said a bipartisan coalition of senators got together during the Bush years a decade ago and agreed not to block nominees except under extraordinary conditions.
Now, Republicans say they’ve been forced to waive filibuster rules after Democrats gathered the votes to deny Judge Neil Gorsuch the 60 votes needed to advance.
“It’s a dark day in the history of the United States Senate,” Mr. McCain told CNN.
Democrats say they’re still upset that Republicans refused to hold hearings for Judge Merrick Garland, who President Obama picked in early 2016 to fill the court after Justice Antonin Scalia died.
“There’s no communication anymore,” Mr. McCain said.
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He said if the Senate decides to confirm justices along party lines, “what do you think the next nominee is going to be like?”
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rhode Island Democrat, accused Republicans of picking a nominee off a “Heritage Foundation-approved list” instead of one that could bring the parties together.
He said Democrats opposing Judge Gorsuch were spooked by the last time Republicans enjoyed a 5-to-4 advantage on the court, citing rulings such as Citizens United that opened the door to corporate donations to independent campaign groups.
“Look out, human beings, here come the big corporations,” Mr. Whitehouse told MSNBC.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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