Jordan Davidson reporting for The Federalist
Three Supreme Court Justices, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away on Friday due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, were confirmed by the Senate within 45 days of their formal nomination date.
According to Senate records, Justices Ginsburg, John Paul Stevens, and Sandra Day O’Connor were all confirmed in a short period of time. Stevens’s confirmation in 1975 took 19 days, O’Connor’s confirmation in 1981 took 33 days, and Ginsburg’s confirmation in 1993 took 42 days.
While many have speculated who President Donald Trump will nominate to replace her spot on the Court and questioned whether there is enough time before the election for a nominee to be confirmed, many are confident that the Senate will be able to confirm someone in less than the 46 days until the election.
“Yes, Trump has time to nominate and get his nominee confirmed to the Supreme Court. EVERY SINGLE VOTE ON A #SCOTUS NOMINEE OF THE LAST 45 YEARS was voted on in less time than what Trump has between now and the end of his current term,” wrote one Twitter user, including a graph showing 15 justices who were formally nominated and then confirmed in less than 110 days.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Trump’s nomination would receive a vote on the floor, adding the Senate will keep their promise to “support [Trump’s] agenda “particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary.”
“President Trump’s nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” he stated.
In just two days this week, Sen. McConnell and the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed six federal judges appointed by Trump to courts in California and Illinois, proving that the process of confirmation can be expedited when necessary.
Early in September, Trump released a list of 20 potential Supreme Court nominations to add to his running list which includes many conservative professionals and Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Josh Hawley of Missouri.