Lankford, Inhofe favor replacing Ginsburg this year

Oklahoma Sens. Jim Inhofe and James Lank ford on Monday came out in favor of replacing late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg this year, despite their opposition in 2016 to considering a high court nominee in a presidential election year.

“I look forward to considering and voting on President Trump's nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy before the end of the year,” Lankford said in a statement.

“If the President puts forward a nomination, the Senate has the authority to provide advice and consent, and I take this role very seriously. Confirming a Supreme Court nominee during a presidential election year when the White House and Senate majority are of the same party is consistent with precedent.”

Inhofe said, "The precedent here is clear. In the case of a

united government, with voters having elected a Senate and White House of the same party, it is our constitutional obligation to consider a nomination of a Supreme Court justice. I look forward to a thorough and swift consideration of President Trump' s nominee. I' ve been pleased at the short lists President Trump has put forward and am confident his nominee will be a well-qualified, constitutional judge.”

Four years ago, Inhofe and Lankford were among the Republican senators who argued that the Senate shouldn't vote on a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Sc ali a because it was ap residential election year. President Barack Obama, a Democrat, nominated

Merrick Garland, a federal appeals court judge, to replace Scalia, but the GOP- controlled Senate refused to consider the nomination.

Lank ford said then, “While the Constitution says the President shall nominate judges to the Supreme Court, it does not say the Senate shall approve the nominee. Based on previous historical precedent, I support Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley's intent to give the American people a say in Justice (Antonin) Scalia's replacement this year at the ballot box.”

Lankford a nd I nhofe said in a joint statement in 2016,“Well before the president nominated Judge Garland, the majority of the members of the Senate determined that a presidential election year is not the right time to start a nomination process for the Supreme Court.

“We should continue the long-standing, election-year precedent and let Americans have a voice on the future direction of the court.”

Neither made the distinction they did on Monday a bout di vi ded government.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who was majority leader in 2016, said Monday that the situation was different four years ago because the government was divided, with a Democrat controlling the White House and Republicans controlling the Senate.

Other Republicans, including In ho fe and Lankford, cited that rationale on Monday, while Democrats accused them of hypocrisy.

“What's fair is fair ,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, said Monday. “A senator' s word must count for something.”