Someone very important in the Republican party has promised to stop “radical” left-wing Supreme Court nominees if Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the next president.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas made the threat. He is one of two GOP senators who are most likely to become party leader in the chamber when Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) steps down.
After the November elections, Republicans should have a strong majority in the Senate. The new majority leader, who will be chosen in the weeks after the election for president, could have a big impact on the process of confirming people to the Supreme Court.
“I’m not going to schedule a vote on some wild-eyed radical nominee, which I know she would love to nominate,” the Texas senator told CNN.
Senate Republican Whip John Thune, the other favorite to replace McConnell, said that a Republican majority in the Senate would be useful in blocking Harris’s candidate if need be.
“We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it,” Thune said. “But, you know, it probably depends on who it is and that’s the advantage of having a Republican Senate.”
The court is currently comprised of six GOP-nominated justices to three nominated by Democratic presidents. Harris and other far-left members of her party have called for expanding the nation’s highest court to extend the number of liberal picks. She has also backed ended the 60-vote threshold in the Senate, known as the filibuster, though she likely would change her tune if Republicans do win control in November.
In August, Republicans ripped President Joe Biden and Harris’s long-term proposal to reshape the Supreme Court as a way to politicize the judicial system.
“President Biden and I are calling on Congress to pass important reforms – from imposing term limits for Justices’ active service, to requiring Justices to comply with binding ethics rules just like every other federal judge. These popular reforms will help to restore confidence in the Court, strengthen our democracy, and ensure no one is above the law,” Harris said in a statement.
The proposals include an 18-year term limit and requirements that justices disclose gifts, avoid political activity, and recuse themselves over conflicts of interest. They also pitched a constitutional amendment that would rescind the Supreme Court’s July finding that presidents have presumed immunity for the core functions of their office.
Harris has acknowledged that she contributed to the plan’s formulation but did not host any public events to promote it.
“I’ve made clear how I feel about Kamala and she’s been an incredible partner to me and a champion of surprise throughout her career,” Biden said in his speech.
“And she’ll continue to be an inspiring leader and project the very idea of America — the very idea that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.”
The White House is trying to take advantage of the growing anger among Democrats over the court’s decisions that overturned long-standing rules about abortion rights and government regulatory power.
Liberals are also upset about stories about the decisions and relationships of some conservative court members that they say make people question whether or not they are fair.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
