WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — With less than six weeks until the Presidential Election, the White House is preparing to nominate a new Supreme Court Justice, following the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“I think the process is going to go very quickly,” said President Donald Trump.
President Trump says he will announce his pick Saturday. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the nominee will get a vote on the Senate floor.
“Why go to such great lengths to run through a just mere weeks before an election?” asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Schumer says the next Justice should be nominated by the winner of the upcoming election, but Republicans plan to act now.
“We will not rush this process,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) both sit on the Judiciary Committee, which is tasked with vetting any Supreme Court nominee before the full Senate takes a final vote.
“My colleagues and I on the Judiciary Committee will do our job and thoroughly examine the nominee, just as we would any other nominee to the court,” said Cornyn.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) says typically the confirmation process takes 30 days. He says that’s plenty of time before Nov. 3.
“A lot of Democrats don’t like the idea that we have a Republican president, who now after this is over will have done three United States Supreme Court Justices,” Inhofe said.
McConnell says a confirmation hearing could come as early as next week.
