Confirm Another Justice Now
The future of the Supreme Court was thrown into question last Friday evening when the news broke that associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg had passed away. Democrats immediately fell into a panic. Some even threatened riots if President Trump nominates a justice before the election. Prominent Democrat leaders are now arguing that Senate Republicans should not confirm anyone to the Supreme Court until after the election, as Republicans did in 2016. Already, several Republicans have signaled agreement with Democrats about postponing the confirmation.
A failure for Republicans to seize this opportunity would be one of the worst defeats for the pro-life movement since Roe v. Wade was wrongly decided. Trump should nominate someone immediately. The Senate should move swiftly to confirm him or her. Now more than ever, we need a strong conservative Supreme Court, and Republicans were elected to deliver that.
In 2016, after President Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that Senate Republicans would wait until after the election before confirming a nominee. In 2014, the people gave Senate Republicans a majority to check the last two years of the Obama administration. When Obama nominated Judge Garland to the Supreme Court, Senate Republicans said no. They would not confirm a nominee until after the election. Today, Republicans still have a majority in the Senate, a majority that grew in the last midterm. The people elected Republicans because they promised to confirm originalists to the Supreme Court. Anything less would be a betrayal to their voters. McConnell is not breaking precedent. He had a majority in 2016, and he has a majority in 2020. Democrat calls of Republican hypocrisy is just whining over losing an election and having no power to stop the confirmation. In the words of President Trump, “Losing an election has consequences. That means the other side gets to pick Supreme Court justices.”
After the despicable way Democrats treated Justice Kavanagh’s hearing, any hopes of Democrats playing fair is fantasy. If the situation was reversed, Democrats would not hesitate to confirm their nominee. Neither should Republicans. Many Republicans would rather have Democrat approval than stand for their principles. From slavery to abortion, Democrats have a long history of protecting evil practices and institutions. No one who cares about the millions of unborn babies murdered in the womb should seek the approval of Democrats over confirming justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade.
Republicans have the opportunity to secure an originalist leaning Supreme Court for decades to come. Roe vs. Wade might finally be overturned, enabling Republicans to begin chipping away at the abortion industry in States across the country. If President Trump and Senate Republicans successfully confirm another conservative justice to the Supreme Court, there would be a 6-3 conservative majority on the highest court. Conservatives would no longer need to worry about which way the political winds might blow Chief Justice John Roberts. Now is the time for all Republicans to find their backbone and fight for their principles. The future of life in America depends on it.