Sen. Richard Blumenthal warned on Thursday that Democrats would fight Sen. Mitch McConnell’s plan to confirm a Supreme Court nominee before midterms.
“A decision of this historic magnitude requires a lot of deliberate consideration, more than the few months we have before this election,” Mr. Blumenthal said during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement from the nation’s highest court on Wednesday, giving President Trump the opportunity to fill his seat and swing the court to the right.
Mr. Blumenthal explained that Mr. Trump’s pick from his list of “right-wing fringe ideologues” could undermine the Supreme Court’s role in being a “bulwark in protecting our civil rights and liberties.” He specifically mentioned his concerns about Roe v. Wade, affirmative action, and gay rights.
The Democratic senator slammed Republicans for showing “nothing but contempt” for the normal parliamentary procedures. He said they should follow their own “McConnell rule” and not confirm a nominee before an election.
Mr. Blumenthal said that during confirmation hearings he would ask any Trump nominee if they would recuse themselves from a potential case on the Mueller investigation if the president was subpoenaed.
“I have never seen it [the Supreme Court] so polarized or politicized. And I’ve never seen such an all-out assault on the rule of law,” Mr. Blumenthal said.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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