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McConnell: Proud to Support Judge Barrett’s Confirmation and Proud of this Precedent-Backed Process

October 16, 2020

LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States: 

“The Judiciary Committee and the American people just heard from one of the most impressive nominees for public office that I have ever seen.

“Judge Amy Coney Barrett exhibited every bit of the intellectual brilliance, legal expertise, and open-minded judicial temperament that our nation needs on the Supreme Court.

“Even the Democratic Senators who had pre-committed to oppose the nominee could not question her qualifications. Democrats just recited the same hysterical policy predictions they have recycled for every nominee from every Republican president for half a century.

“The insinuations around the nominee’s religious faith have been embarrassing. But thus far, the left has declined to repeat the shameful circus of 2018 and try the politics of personal destruction. Let us hope such tactics remain off the table.

“I will proudly vote to confirm Judge Barrett, and will lead the full Senate to take up her nomination as soon as the Committee reports it out next week.

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“This confirmation process falls squarely within history and precedent. Neither falsehoods nor strong feelings change the facts.

“History shows that when Supreme Court vacancies arise in presidential election years, the outcome hinges on whether the same party or different parties control the presidency and the Senate. The circumstances we faced in 2016 have only led to confirmation two times in American history and zero times since 1888. The circumstances before us today have led to confirmation every single time except one nominee with financial scandals.

“Our timeframe is likewise normal. Sixteen days elapsed between Judge Barrett’s announcement and the start of her hearings. Just since 1960, eight Supreme Court confirmations have moved more quickly than that. Now, one week will elapse between the end of hearings and the Committee vote. Half of all Supreme Court confirmations since 1916 have moved more quickly than that.

“This process has been precedent-backed at every step. Yesterday, the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee praised Chairman Graham’s “fairness” and said “this has been one of the best sets of hearings that I’ve participated in.”

“Democrats cannot articulate any substantive reason why the Senate should not proceed. Sadly, they are resorting to disinformation. Senate Democrats are misstating history in ways that even the Washington Post says are not true. Former Vice President Biden has made claims about this process that even PolitiFact has rated “False.”

“Everybody knows the far left is just trying to invent justifications for a court-packing tantrum that would wreck the judiciary. These threats will not stop the Senate from following precedent or confirming this brilliant nominee.”

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McConnell on “Court-Packing” Threats: Democrats Abuse Language to Set Up Abuse of Power

October 14, 2020

LOUISVILLE, KY – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding Democrats’ continuing threats to pack the Supreme Court: 

“It is bizarre to watch Vice President Biden and other Democrats refuse to give a straight answer on their own party’s threats to pack the Supreme Court. But it is even more absurd for them to try to redefine “court-packing” to mean any judicial confirmation that disappoints Democrats.

“A prominent philosopher wrote that when leaders abuse language, it is because they seek to abuse power. Anyone who studied U.S. history in high school knows that “court-packing” has a clear definition: A partisan attempt to expand the Supreme Court beyond nine seats, so new Justices can be added despite the Court having no vacancies.

“It is not “court-packing” when the Senate confirms nominees to fill actual vacancies. It is not “court-packing” when Senators choose not to confirm everyone a president nominates. This is the Senate doing its job, as Senates have done since 1789. Democrats are trying to use talking points to gaslight the American people.

“It was Democrats who pioneered routine filibusters of judicial nominees in the 2000s under President Bush. Senator Schumer bragged “I am the leader of [the filibuster movement], and you know, I’m proud of it.” Then, when Republicans used the same tools under President Obama, it was Democrats who escalated again and changed Senate rules to avoid tasting their own medicine.

“For nearly 20 years, any time the confirmation process has temporarily disappointed Democrats, they have insisted the system is illegitimate and the rules need tearing up. Now they want to redefine filling open vacancies as “court-packing” so it seems less appalling when they try to do the real thing. Vice President Biden also falsely claims that confirming Judge Barrett would be “not constitutional.” Even Politifact has rated his claim “False.”

“Abuse of language; abuse of power.

“There is a reason why the late Justice Ginsburg opposed court-packing, saying “nine seems to be a good number.” Court-packing by either party would guarantee retribution when the Senate and the White House next changed hands. The escalation would not end. Our independent judiciary would spiral into one more partisan battleground. And the judgments of Supreme Court would be delegitimized.

“Huge majorities of Americans oppose court-packing. But last year, while campaigning, Senator Harris said she was “absolutely open to it.” And now Vice President Biden says “you’ll know my opinion on court-packing the minute the election is over.” Even as Senate Democrats badger Judge Barrett to improperly pre-judge hypothetical cases, their own presidential nominee says voters must elect him before they get to find out what he believes.

“Throughout Vice President Biden’s Senate career, he condemned the idea of packing the Supreme Court. He called President Roosevelt’s failed attempt a “terrible mistake.” He praised the “courage” of Senators who stopped it.

“If Vice President Biden still believed that, it would be easy to say so.

“The only reason to duck, dodge, and obfuscate if the far left is now calling the shots. The only reason for this abuse of language is to set up an abuse of power.”

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McConnell Issues Update on COVID-19 Relief and Senate Schedule

October 13, 2020

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) issued the following statement today regarding the upcoming Senate schedule: 

“Secretary Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Meadows are right: There is no excuse for Democrats to keep blocking job-saving funding for the Paycheck Protection Program while other conversations continue.

“The PPP is a popular program that has saved tens of millions of American jobs. It is so bipartisan that its first round was replenished and extended several times by unanimous consent in both the Senate and the House. But it has become yet another casualty of Democrats’ all-or-nothing obstruction.

“Last month, 52 Senate Republicans voted to pass hundreds of billions more dollars for priorities like testing, healthcare, safe schools, unemployment benefits, and economic support. That included legislation from Chairman Rubio and Senator Collins that would provide a second round of the PPP for the hardest-hit small businesses while streamlining the program and strengthening oversight.

“Republicans had the votes to pass all this relief. But Senate Democrats chose to filibuster it dead.

“Democrats have spent months blocking policies they do not even oppose. They say anything short of their multi-trillion-dollar wish list, jammed with non-COVID-related demands, is “piecemeal” and not worth doing. Speaker Pelosi frequently says she feels “nothing” is better than “something.” And she has worked hard to ensure that nothing is what American families get.

“When the full Senate returns on October 19th, our first order of business will be voting again on targeted relief for American workers, including new funding for the PPP. Unless Democrats block this aid for workers, we will have time to pass it before we proceed as planned to the pending Supreme Court nomination as soon as it is reported by the Judiciary Committee.

“Republicans do not agree that nothing is better than something for working families. The American people need Democrats to stop blocking bipartisan funding and let us replenish the PPP before more Americans lose their jobs needlessly.”

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