Majority Of Americans Believe Senate Should Hold Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings This Year, Poll Says

A Marquette University poll conducted before the Friday death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg revealed that most Americans believe the Senate should hold confirmation hearings on a vacancy in the high court this year, Breitbart reported. In particular, the poll found that 67 percent of respondents were supportive of filling a vacancy this year, and this view did not significantly vary based on party affiliation.

Specifically, 71 percent of Independents, 68 of Republicans, and 63 of Democrats were supportive of the then-hypothetical scenario, which came to fruition as of Friday. Conversely, 37 percent of Democrats, 31 of Republicans, and 28 of Independents were opposed to such hearings.

The survey also found that most respondents believe in the importance of the next appointment.

“The vacancy on the Court created by Ginsburg’s death greatly increases the salience of a possible appointment to the Court in the midst of a presidential election campaign,” the pollster wrote.

In particular, 48 percent of respondents said the selection of the next Justice is very important to them, 34 said it’s somewhat important, and 17 said it’s not at all or not too important.

The poll also found that support for increasing the number of Supreme Court Justices is split along partisan lines — 61 percent of Democrats favor or strongly favor the process, while 34 of Republicans feel the same.

Despite refusing to hold a vote on Barack Obama’s 2016 nomination of Merrick Garland, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday vowed to push a vote on Donald Trump’s forthcoming appointment.

Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, also vowed to support Trump’s nomination. In a clip from his appearance on Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren that is set to air on Sunday, Graham explained his reasoning.

“Well, Merrick Garland was a different situation. You had the president of one party nominating, and you had the Senate in the hands of the other party. A situation where you’ve got them both would be different.”

Per USA Today, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has pushed back against Trump and his Republican allies.

“There is no doubt… that the voters should pick the president, and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider.”

Ginsburg’s dying wish was that her replacement is not nominated until the next head of state is sworn into office, as The Inquisitr reported. Nevertheless, USA Today reported that her death has paved the way for a battle between the Democratic Party and the GOP over the opening, which the latter could use to “solidify conservative control of the court” for decades.