Congressional Democrats are airing their grievances after Senate Republicans voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
But, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says his Democratic colleagues would have moved to fill the seat if they were in power.
Speaking to reporters after the confirmation vote on Monday night, he said, “If the shoe were on the other foot, they would have acted entirely within the Constitution and within the rules, just like we did.”
Watch the video below:
Sen. Mitch McConnell: "If the shoe were on the other foot, they would have acted entirely within the Constitution and within the rules, just like we did." pic.twitter.com/oPxhg69DOf
— The Hill (@thehill) October 27, 2020
The Senate voted 52-48 in favor of Barrett’s confirmation, with all but one Republican senator voting in the affirmative and every Democrat voting against her confirmation.
It made history as the first confirmation vote for a Supreme Court justice that did not receive bipartisan support and the closest to a presidential election.
Shortly after the vote, Democrats took to Twitter to blast Republicans for filling the seat.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris tweeted, “Republicans denied the will of the American people by confirming a Supreme Court justice through an illegitimate process.”
“We won’t forget this,” she added.
Today Republicans denied the will of the American people by confirming a Supreme Court justice through an illegitimate process—all in their effort to gut the Affordable Care Act and strip health care from millions with pre-existing conditions.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 27, 2020
We won’t forget this.
And Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called on her colleagues to increase the number of seats on the Supreme Court in retaliation for Barrett’s confirmation.
“Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time, they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal, but a response isn’t,” she said in a tweet minutes after the vote.
Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2020
While Ocasio-Cortez was open about how she would like Democrats to respond if they retake the upper chamber, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was more opaque.
“The Republican majority is lighting its credibility on fire. … The next time the American people give Democrats a majority in this chamber, you will have forfeited the right to tell us how to run that majority,” he said.
Schumer added, “My colleagues may regret this for a lot longer than they think.”