Ruth Bader Ginsburg Passes with a Final Wish
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on Friday at 87 years old due to metastatic pancreas cancer.
Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and has been serving as the senior member of the court’s liberal wing. As a supreme court member, Ginsberg fought for progressive issues such as abortion and women’s rights, same-sex marriage, immigration, and health care.
Before she passed, Ginsburg told her granddaughter, Clara Spera, that she wanted her replacement on the supreme court to be chosen by the next appointed president. However, despite Ginsburg’s final wishes, Republicans are already planning on a replacement right away. According to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday evening, “President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”
Democrats are fighting that there should be no confirmation in an election year, especially when Republicans refused to vote for President Obama’s nominee for supreme court justice in 2016. According to the presidential nominee, Joe Biden, on Friday night, “There is no doubt, let me be clear that the voters should pick the president and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider.”
On Tuesday, Republicans secured the backers needed to elect President Trump’s nominee to replace Ginsberg. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah was able to get the Republican party the 51 backers to move forward with a replacement. On Saturday, President Trump will announce his nominee for the supreme court and has indicated his nominee will be a woman. There is no definite date for a confirmation vote, but there will be one before the presidential election in November, according to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell.
Ginsburg is currently lying in repose at the Supreme Court. Ginsburg’s coffin will lie on the Lincoln Catafalque before her funeral and burial at Arlington national cemetery next week.