Tomyamaguchi’s Weblog

My emails to my senators on the Supreme Court vacancy

To Senator Feinstein:

Thank you for your statement “Under no circumstances should the Senate consider a replacement for Justice Ginsburg until after the presidential inauguration.”

I am not surprised by Majority Leader McConnell’s statement that he would fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court that was created by the death of Justice Ginsberg. Nor am I surprised that he made his statement as soon as we received the news of the terrible loss to this country, not even giving us sufficient time to mourn and reflect on her accomplishments throughout her long career. I am not surprised that he would take this course in direct contradiction of his position in 2016 when he refused to even provide Merrick Garland a hearing for a vacancy created by the death of Justice Scalia that February. I am not surprised because he said he would do it in 2019. In fact, his response to the question was quite blunt. “I would fill it,” he told the audience, which responded with laughter. 

I am not surprised, yet I am no less disgusted by both Mr. McConnell’s action and the audience reaction, as if this is all just a power game. Well, this is not a game. We elect our senators to act fairly and ethically while they are in office. I believe we should hold our elected officials to a higher standard.

One difference between now and 2016 was that the court vacancy then was created in February, just as the primary process was starting. We are now at six weeks before the general election with Congress getting ready to shut down to conduct their re election campaigns. That should be reason enough to wait until a new President and new Senate are elected and sworn into office.

Sadly. Mr. McConnell does not feel the same urgency to provide our country with pandemic relief. He has not bothered to call a vote on the HEROES Act, months after it was passed by the House of Representatives.

I agree that confirmation of a new Supreme Court justice can and should wait until 2021. Thank you for taking your position.

My message to Senator Harris is a request to join Senator Feinstein on her position.

September 19, 2020 Posted by tomyamaguchi | Uncategorized | confirmation, election, Feinstein, Garland, Ginsburg, Harris, McConnell, Scalia, Senate, Supreme Court | Leave a comment