On September 19, 2020, I sent a letter by Email to Kansas Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran through @Resistbot in regard to the hypocrisy of Republicans regarding voting on a new Supreme Court justice, after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the term “he’s a republican” springs to mind.
My letter expressed my concern that Republicans have stolen a supreme court seat by refusing to even vote on President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland, despite President Obama having 11 months remaining of his term. Only to ignore that precedent in 2020, vowing to vote on Trump’s nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, with the likes of Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and many other Senators flipping, using the argument “it’s different when the same party controls the White House and the Senate”.
Senator Pat Roberts used the same bullshit reasoning as Mitt Romney, citing the precedent of parties only filling a Supreme Court seat in an election year if the same party controls the Senate and the White House. I don’t pretend to be a Constitutional scholar, but I’m sure the founding fathers didn’t introduce language saying, it only counts if the President and Senate majority are of the same political party.
Screenshot of the full Email reply from Senator Roberts.
The reality is there is no defined rule for nomination and confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice in an election year. Furthermore, a rule is something that has to be evenly applied, which it has not been. It doesn’t suddenly become precedent when one party, in this case, Republicans decide to move the goalposts to suit their own agenda. I call Bullshit on Senator Roberts and Republicans saying it is their constitutional duty to vote on and confirm a SCOTUS Justice, where was that constitutional duty in 2016?
The sad thing is that SCOTUS is supposed to be nonpartisan, which it is not, the majority of rulings go down party lines or even religious beliefs of Justices, especially on same-sex marriage and abortion rights. Just recently, two Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito spoke out on how the Obergefell decision on same-sex marriage is posing problems for religious freedom. This is what I would call bigotry from the highest court in the land, using their religious ‘liberty’ as a way to force their ideological will on others.
Senator Jerry Moran just dodged the question, crowing about how amazing Amy Coney Barrett is.
Screenshot of the full Email reply from Senator Roberts.
This is not about Trump’s choice, Amy Coney Barrett, this is about ‘rules’ being applied evenly. I don’t expect Republicans to honor anything they say, they are Republicans, rules don’t apply to them, but I do expect Democrats to fight tooth and nail against Republicans, instead of unilaterally surrendering, taking potential options to block the vote and confirmation off the table, gifting the GOP and President Trump a third SCOTUS seat, after Republicans stole a SCOTUS seat in 2016 by saying “let the voters decide”.
If the Senate voted on Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, I would not be angry at all, it is just unfortunate that Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed so close to an election, as was the case with Antonin Scalia in 2016. The hypocrisy of the Republican party is astonishing, and the lack of pushback from Democrats is equally as astonishing. From what I see, there is no opposition party in Congress, there are Republicans and Republicans Lite. “We, the people” is nothing more than an epitaph to a bygone age.