Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) claims that his Republican colleagues have been packing the courts for the duration of President Donald Trump‘s time in the White House.
During an appearance NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, Durbin was asked if he believes Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden would not support expanding the Supreme Court based on the language he uses around that question.
“It’s a common question being asked because the American people have watched the Republicans packing the court over the last three and a half years,” Durbin responded.
He added, “And they brag about it. They’ve taken every vacancy and filled it.” Durbin noted that 10 of Trump’s judicial nominees received unanimous “unqualified” ratings from the American Bar Association.
“We are dealing with people on the court, packed into the court, little or no qualifications, who are going to be there for a long time,” he added.
Watch the video below:
.@SenatorDurbin on Biden not saying if he’ll pack SCOTUS: "It’s a common question being asked because the American people have watched the Republicans packing the court over the last three and a half years. And they brag about it. They’ve taken every vacancy and filled it." pic.twitter.com/uCQSpqyvxB
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) October 11, 2020
Host Chuck Todd asked if Democrats were refusing to say whether or not they would support expanding the Supreme Court to use it as a “negotiating tool” to convince Senate Republicans to hold off on holding confirmation hearings for the Supreme Court vacancy until after the election.
“It is not a negotiating tool plot. We are dealing with the reality. A lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. McConnell has changed the rules for the Republican senators. We are running this through at breakneck pace without the investigation that usually comes with this,” Durbin responded.
He also said Democrats hope that Republican voters will “wake up to the reality of this strategy” and call their senators to urge them to hold off on the confirmation process for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
Biden and his allies have steadfastly refused to answer whether or not he would support expanding the Supreme Court. Instead, Biden and his allies have called that question a “distraction” and pointed to the Senate’s confirmation of Trump’s judicial nominees.