Why Cruz blocked a resolution honoring Ginsburg
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led Senate may be ready to approve President Donald Trump’s yet-to-be-named nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but the divided chamber was unable to pass a resolution honoring Ginsburg on Tuesday.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz blocked the resolution after Democrats tried to add language noting Ginsburg’s dying wish — as related to the media by her daughter — was for the winner of the Nov. 3 presidential election to pick her successor. Cruz said the Democratic amendment to the resolution went too far by adding language “purportedly based on a comment Justice Ginsburg made to family members shortly before she passed.”
“This endeavor started with a resolution that the majority put forward that was intended to be a bipartisan resolution commemorating the life and service of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” Cruz said as he objected to an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to pass the resolution. “Unfortunately the Democratic leader has put forth an amendment to turn that bipartisan resolution into a partisan resolution.”
Cruz, who noted that he argued cases before Ginsburg nine times as solicitor general for Texas, in turn tried to add language quoting Ginsburg’s opposition to the idea of adding justices to the high court, something some Democrats have floated as a goal if Republicans approve Trump’s nominee. Schumer got the last word. “I believe Justice Ginsburg would easily see through the legal sophistry of the argument of the junior senator from Texas,” Schumer said. “To turn Justice Ginsburg’s dying words against her is so, so beneath the dignity of this body.”
Ginsburg’s death has sparked a mammoth battle in the Senate as the GOP rushes to fill the seat ahead of an already bitter election when both the presidency and control of the chamber are on the line. Trump has said he’ll name a successor by the end of the week.
Democrats are protesting, saying Republicans are hypocrites after denying even a hearing for Merrick Garland, whom Obama nominated to fill a vacancy left by Antonin Scalia after he died on a ranch in West Texas in February 2016. Obama picked Garland in March, months before the 2016 election.
But there’s likely little the Democrats will be able to do to stop the move, as Republicans appear to have the votes to approve the nominee, even as two GOP senators have said they’ll vote against it.