“What we are proposing is completely consistent with the precedent…29 times there have been vacancies in the year of a presidential election and if both the White House and the Senate are of the same party they go forward with the confirmation.”

Click Here to Watch Sen. Barrasso.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) appeared on “Meet the Press” this morning to remember the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and to talk about the upcoming process in the Senate to fill the vacancy on the Court.

Below are key excerpts of the interview:

On Justice Ginsburg’s Legacy:

“Really a heroic and historic figure. This is a great loss for our country. Here in Wyoming, we think of her as a trailblazer in so many ways because she had the western spirit of grit and endurance and determination. She showed that every day. She was a role model for many and for young women on my staff who went into law, she was an inspiration for many of them. She inspired a generation, and I think she is going to be long remembered for the trail that she blazed.

On Biden Rule and Voting Precedent:

“Well first, let's be very clear. If the shoe were on the other foot and the Democrats had the White House and the Senate they would right now be trying to confirm another member of the Supreme Court.

“What we are proposing is completely consistent with the precedent. What happened in 2016, and let's go back, we were following the Joe Biden rule. Joe Biden was clear when he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and he said when there is a Senate of one party and a White House of the other, and he said this to George Herbert Walker Bush, he said if there is a vacancy in that final year, we will not confirm, and that’s what we did with Merrick Garland. But 29 times there have been vacancies in the year of a presidential election and if both the White House and the Senate are of the same party they go forward with the confirmation.

On Merrick Garland Nomination Process:

“You haven't had since 1888, when a party of the Senate and the White House were of different parties, that anyone was confirmed and that was the situation with Merrick Garland. Chuck Schumer said the same thing at the end of George W. Bush's term. That if the vacancy occurred with President Bush and the Republican in the White House, the Democrats under Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer in charge of the Senate that they would not confirm. But now when you have both parties in the White House and the Senate, historically, the confirmation goes forward and that's what's going to happen here. The Senate will be back in session and the president's going to make a nomination, I believe this week.

On Moving Forward with Confirmation Process:

“The president is going to make a nomination. I believe it's going to be this week. We will hold hearings and there will be a vote on the floor of the United States Senate this year…I think that if the president really wanted to make a powerful, positive statement by coming forth with a woman nominee, there are many qualified women on his list. Somebody who could then be a role model for future attorneys and for young women and young men looking into the law. I think that would be the right move for this president, soon.

On Democrat Attempts to Politicize the Court:

“Chuck Schumer has been very clear, the Democrats have been very clear. If they win the White House and the Senate all bets are off. They are going to blow up the filibuster. They are going to use the nuclear option. They are going to stack the Supreme Court. They've talked about raising the number of members of the Supreme Court even though Ruth Bader Ginsburg said it's a bad idea and she said it would politicize the court, and she said nine is the right number.

On Senate Voting Precedent:

“If we did something different now we would be breaking with the precedent that has long been established and if the president and the Senate are of the same party, you move along with confirmation.

“This is the consistent principle and policies that have been followed through the history of the United States when 29 vacancies occurred in years of presidential elections. We're going to be consistent with all of that.

“There's an election coming up. Every Senate candidate and every senator speaks for himself or herself. As chairman of the conference, I have great respect for that, but each one is going to be called upon to make a decision in their role to advise and consent. The president is going to nominate and we’re going to vote this year.”

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