Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg poses for a portrait on Apr 27, 2009./Robert Deutsch/ USA TODAY
By Ronald J. Hansen and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s authorized biographer said she had wanted “regular order” on Merrick Garland’s 2016 nomination and likely wouldn’t want a rushed confirmation to the high court now.
Evan Thomas, the author of “First,” a 2019 biography of O’Connor, said it’s hard to say definitively what she would make of the rapidly unfolding political fight over replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Friday of pancreatic cancer.
“She wanted the process to go forward on voting on Merrick Garland,” Thomas said. “Based on that, I think — this is my opinion now — I don’t think she would feel right about ramming this thing through.”
O’Connor made clear she didn’t approve of Garland’s nomination languishing for nearly a year in the Senate without a hearing, Thomas said.
McSally calls on U.S. Senate to vote on a Trump Supreme Court nominee
Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally said Friday the U.S. Senate should vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee to fill the vacancy left by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, echoing sentiments by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that the nominee receive a Senate vote.
Trump is expected to swiftly nominate a replacement, setting up a battle in the Republican-controlled Senate to confirm his pick as a presidential election looms. Some senators are being cautious in trying to avoid stepping into the intense partisan politics that await.
Not McSally, who is fighting to defend her seat — and with it, potentially the GOP majority in the November election.
“This U.S. Senate should vote on President Trump’s next nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court,” McSally wrote on Twitter, after offering prayers for her family and noting Ginsburg’s pioneering career.
