Murkowski won't rule out voting for Trump nominee to Supreme Court

Sen. Lisa Murkowski clarified this week that she would not rule out voting on President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court. “I know everybody wants to ask the question, ‘Will you confirm the nominee?’” the Alaska Republican said Tuesday. “We don’t have a nominee yet. You and I don’t know who that is. And so I can’t confirm whether or not I can confirm a nominee when I don’t know who the nominee is.” Murkowski said on Sunday that she would not vote on Trump’s nominee, citing how Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death on Friday is so close to November's election. “For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election," Murkowski said at the time. "Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed.”

She added on Tuesday that nominating someone to the court is still too close to the election, but that the process would proceed regardless. “I do not support this process moving forward,” she said. “Now, having said that, this process is moving forward with or without me.” “If I had felt that there was a rush to move this through because you’re up against a deadline that is hard and fast, like an election, and that a nominee had not been thoroughly and fairly evaluated through our process, then I’m going to have to look at that,” she said. Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney also said this week he will vote on Trump’s nominee, locking up the number of votes in the Senate to confirm the pick. “I intend to follow the Constitution and precedent in considering the president’s nominee," Romney said in a statement on Tuesday. "If the nominee reaches the Senate floor, I intend to vote based upon their qualifications." Trump said he will announce his nominee on Saturday evening, following Ginsburg’s funeral proceedings.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/murkowski-says-she-wont-rule-out-voting-from-trumps-nominee-to-the-supreme-court

Alaska’s Sen. Murkowski says she can’t rule out voting for Trump’s Supreme Court pick

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/09/22/alaskas-sen-murkowski-says-she-cant-rule-out-voting-for-trumps-supreme-court-pick/