The Republican National Committee released a video on Sunday highlighting the words of many top Democrats in 2016 on the issue of filling a Supreme Court seat during an election year.
The digital ad follows the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday after the 87-year-old associate justice lost the fight in her fifth bout with cancer.
Democrats made the following remarks in 2016 following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia:
Joe Biden: “The American people deserve a fully-staffed court of nine.”
Hillary Clinton: “The president nominates and then the Senate advises and consents, or not, but they go forward with the process.”
Nancy Pelosi: “What we’re seeing here, and I hope this is temporary, is a disrespect for the Constitution. … The American people expect the president’s nominee to be given a fair hearing and a timely vote in the Senate.”
Bernie Sanders: “The Constitution is 100% clear. The President of the United States has the right to nominate someone to be a justice of the Supreme Court. Senate’s function is to hold hearings and to vote.”
Tim Kaine: “The blockade on filling a naturally occurring vacancy, in my view, is harmful to the independence of the Article Three branch. Even in the three months since Justice Scalia’s death, the court rulings have shown the challenges of an eight member court. … Instead of just saying the blanket rule is no matter who you are, no matter what your qualifications, because you were sent by this president, we will create a unique rule for you and refuse to entertain you.”
Patrick Leahy: “You cannot keep a seat on the Supreme Court, which represents all of us, you cannot keep it vacant against the Constitution.”
Elizabeth Warren: “…do pretty much everything they can to avoid acknowledging the legitimacy of our democratically-elected president … I say to you, do your job, vote for a Supreme Court nominee. … If you want to stop extremism in your party, you can start by showing the American people that you respect the President of the United States and the Constitution.”
Chuck Schumer: “Every day that goes by without a ninth justice is another day the American people’s business is not getting done.”
RNC Rapid Response Director Steve Guest said that Democrats should follow their previous statements and move to immediately fill the vacancy.
“‘The American people deserve a fully-staffed court of nine.’ Those are Joe Biden’s words, and we agree,” Guest said. “As precedent and Democrats’ own words dictate, President Trump has an obligation to fill the vacancy without delay.”
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