As Biden Weighs Choice For Court, GOP Senators Offer Their Thoughts
Some Republicans say that they are open to the president's promise to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court, but others stake a hard line on any liberal nominees. Meanwhile, some news outlets look at the issue of abortion access, which the court is currently considering.
The Hill:
Senators Give Glimpse Into Upcoming Supreme Court Nomination Battle
Senators from both parties on Sunday gave a glimpse into how they might approach President Biden’s Supreme Court nomination, with some signaling they would support his choice of the first Black female justice and others suggesting his nominee wouldn’t get a single Republican vote. Biden last week reaffirmed a campaign promise that he would nominate a Black woman to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer at the end of the Supreme Court’s term later this year. (Chohi, 1/30)
ABC News:
Biden’s Handling Of Supreme Court Vacancy Has Been 'Clumsy At Best': Sen. Collins
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said while she welcomes diversity on the Supreme Court, President Joe Biden's handling of replacing retiring Justice Stephen Breyer so far "has been clumsy at best." "I would welcome the appointment of a Black female to the court," the Republican senator told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. "I believe that diversity benefits the Supreme Court. But the way that the president has handled this nomination has been clumsy at best." (Pietrorazio, 1/30)
The Hill:
Cotton Says He Will Keep An 'Open Mind' On Biden's Supreme Court Nominee, But Doubts GOP Will Support Them
Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said on Sunday that he would keep an "open mind" when it came to President Biden's nominee to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, adding, however, that he doubted the nominee would be someone whom the GOP could support. "Fox News Sunday" host Dana Perino asked Cotton how he intended to approach Biden's upcoming Supreme Court nomination, noting Vice President Harris's intense line of questioning against Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing when she was a senator. (Choi, 1/30)
CBS News:
Graham Says He "Can't Think Of A Better Person" Than Michelle Childs For The Supreme Court
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina praised U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, a possible candidate to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court, on Sunday, saying he "can't think of a better person" for President Biden to consider. In an interview with "Face the Nation," Graham heaped praise on Childs, who sits on the federal district court in South Carolina, and said she is "highly qualified" and of "good character." (Quinn, 1/30)
AP:
Clyburn, Architect Of Biden's Court Pledge, Pushes His Pick
At President Joe Biden’s lowest moment in the 2020 campaign, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn came to him with a suggestion: He should pledge to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. After some cajoling, Biden made the promise at a Democratic debate, a move Clyburn credits with turning out the Black support that helped Biden score a resounding victory in the South Carolina primary and ultimately win the White House. (Kennard, 1/30)
Some say President Biden shouldn't limit candidates based on race or gender —
ABC News:
Majority Of Americans Want Biden To Consider 'All Possible Nominees' For Supreme Court Vacancy: POLL
A new ABC News/Ipsos poll finds that a plurality of Americans view the Supreme Court as motivated by partisanship, while President Joe Biden's campaign trail vow to select a Black woman to fill a high-court vacancy without reviewing all potential candidates evokes a sharply negative reaction from voters. (Shepherd, 1/30)
In related news about the future of the Supreme Court —
The Hill:
How Breyer's Replacement Could Reshape Court's Liberal Wing
The seating of Biden’s nominee, who he has said would be the country’s first Black female justice, will not fundamentally shift the balance of the 6-3 conservative majority court. But replacing Breyer with a justice who is ideologically to his left could reshape the three-member liberal minority and alter the court in more subtle ways. ... Breyer’s departure means [Justice Sonia] Sotomayor will become the court’s senior-most liberal justice. Significantly, the senior-most justice in the majority selects which justice writes the opinion. The same goes for the losing side. ... Given the court’s conservative supermajority, liberal justices are often relegated to the dissenting minority on hot-button issues, from disputes over abortion restrictions and religious liberty to voting rights. Sotomayor, now the court’s most liberal member by a wide margin, has shown herself to be uncowed by the court’s ideological lopsidedness, frequently blasting conservative rulings with fiery dissents. (Kruzel, 1/30)
Stateline:
Here's How Abortion Access Would Change If Supreme Court Erodes Roe
As the nation awaits a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that could significantly erode abortion rights, state laws on the issue have taken on a whole new meaning. Soon, more than at any time in nearly half a century, obtaining an abortion will depend on where you live. In 1973, the high court guaranteed the right to abortion everywhere in its landmark Roe v. Wade decision. That ruling made state abortion bans largely symbolic, and federal courts routinely invalidated them. In many cases, the strictest laws represented political posturing without the risk of a public backlash because the statutes never took effect, said David Karol, an associate professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland. (Vestal, 1/28)
Chicago Tribune:
Two Women Share Their Abortion Stories On The Anniversary Of Roe V. Wade: ‘I Can’t Imagine Not Having Been Able To Make That Decision’
Julie Storbeck, President of Northwest Indiana National Organization for Women and Indiana NOW, had an abortion in her early 20s to complete a miscarriage. Laura Welch, President of Illinois NOW, had an abortion after learning her fetus’ intestines and heart were developing outside the body and the brain was exposed. Both women had their abortions after Roe v. Wade became law in 1973. But, both women said they are very concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn the law, which was decided 49 years ago. (Kukulka, 1/30)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
AJC Poll: Georgians Oppose Permit-Less Gun Carry, Repeal Of Roe V. Wade
Nearly seven in 10 Georgia voters responding to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll say they are opposed to legislation to allow people to carry concealed weapons without a license, and more than two-thirds oppose overturning the decades-old U.S. Supreme Court decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion. The results suggest that Georgians do not want a return of the “culture wars,” the pursuit of hot-button topics that play to each party’s political base that are common during statewide election years. (Prabhu, 1/28)
