With the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last Friday, a question looms over the senators on Capitol Hill: who will be the new Supreme Court Justice appointed?
While the President, Senate, and House of Representatives all run for reelection at some point, Supreme Court Justices are lifetime appointments, serving until they retire or pass away. The last time this happened was in 2016 with the passing of Antonin Scalia. President Obama wanted to appoint moderate Judge Merrick Garland, but in the Senate (where the appointment is voted on), the Republican majority came up with a very interesting theory. They claimed it was too close to the election, and that the voters should be able to choose a new president who will be able to appoint the justice. This resulted in Senate Republicans leaving the seat vacant for an astounding 422 days. When President Trump was elected to office, he chose conservative leaning Justice Neil Gorsuch and the rest is history. However, Justice Ginsburg’s death is even closer to the election than Scalia’s, the 44 days being the 2nd closest to an election in American history. Now Republicans have completely flipped their standing, claiming the vacant seat should be filled “as quickly as possible.” This flip flop of stances has drawn major criticism from the Democratic party, alongside many moderate Republicans.
With the Republican majority Senate having enough votes to confirm a Justice before the November election, critics and voters of the Republican party alike are now wondering who the new Justice will be. President Trump has stated it will be a woman, and released a list of potential nominees. One of those names, Amy Coney Barrett, has emerged as a front runner. However, critics say her Christian views could cloud her judgement on the court. Barabra Lagoa is also a notable name, if nominated she would be the second Justice of Latino descent. An unlikely, but possible choice: Allison Rushing, younger than typically appointees, and would serve on the court for decades to come.
Regardless of who is picked in this momentous decision, the Supreme Court will feel the weight of a 6-3 power shift in favor of conservatives for decades to come.