Idaho Senators, Paulette Jordan React to Ginsburg Passing and Potential Vote

President Trump has said that he will make a nomination to fill Justice Ruth Bater Ginsburg’s seat sometime this week.

The big question is, will Republicans have the votes necessary to get the nomination through? Both Sen. Murkowski (Alaska) and Sen. Collins (Connecticut) have already said they will not vote to confirm President Trump’s nomination.

Both Idaho Senators and Senate candidate Paulette Jordan have released statements after the passing of Ruth Bater Ginsburg.

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Senator Jim Risch had the following statement (September 19th) posted on his website:

Vicki’s and my thoughts and prayers go out to Justice Ginsberg’s family. I did not know her well but I admired her commitment to public service and intellect, though I disagreed with her politically. I did, however, know her friend Justice Scalia well, and one day, while fishing with him in Idaho, we had occasion to talk about his friendship with Justice Ginsberg, given his profound opposite view on almost all issues. He said plainly that they were friends because they treated each other with dignity, respect, and kindness. All of us could build a lasting memorial to these two remarkable people by abandoning the hate, animosity, and vitriol so prevalent in politics today, and turn instead to treating everyone with dignity, respect, and kindness, making the world a better place.

We reached out to Senator Risch’s office to ask if he believes a vote should take place on the Senate floor when President Trump makes his Supreme Court nomination.

Here is the response we received from Risch’s office,

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I took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and faithfully discharge the duties of my office, and will weigh nominees to the Supreme Court based on their merits, not on whether there’s an election coming up. Should a nominee come before the full Senate for consideration, I will weigh that individual based on their character, intellect, conservative record, and respect for the U.S. Constitution and vote accordingly. The calendar will not be a factor for consideration.

In an interview with KTVB, Paulette Jordan who is challenging Sen. Risch for his Senate seat had this to say,

The last time we had an opportunity to nominate a Supreme Court Justice, it was said that, ‘We have 10 months before the election. Let’s wait until the election passes and not make this political.’ I would hope that the same representatives would do the same, and keep their word and ensure that we can get to the election and then let those who are elected decide. The people should decide who the justice representive should be instead of the parties who are now trying to determine who our next Supreme Court nominee and Justice will be.

Jordan also had a statement she made on Twitter after the passing of Ginsburg which you can see below:

Sen. Mike Crapo also released a statement on the passing of Ginsburg which said,

Justice Ginsburg was a stalwart leader on the issues and causes important to her.  While I did not agree with some of her opinions on matters of legal doctrine, I respect her courage to hold steadfast to her beliefs.  Prior to her service on the Supreme Court, her work with Idaho-based attorney Allen Derr helped overturn laws allowing discrimination on the basis of sex.  She fought a hard fight against cancer, and her legacy will continue for many more generations.  At this time of grief and sadness, I offer my condolences and deepest sympathies to her family, friends and loved ones.

We also reached out to Crapo’s office for comment on a potential vote but his office informed us that he has not yet released a statement on the issue.

What do you think of the potential vote for a U.S. Supreme Court nomination?

Should President Trump make a nomination and should the U.S. Senate vote on it? Or should the President and Senate hold off until after the election?

Let us know in the comments below!