Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called on Republicans Saturday to reject any Supreme Court nominee who does not condemn Roe v. Wade.
“Two months ago, I pledged to vote only for #SCOTUS nominees who understand and acknowledge that Roe was wrongly decided,” Hawley tweeted Saturday morning. “I stand by that commitment, and I call on my fellow Republican senators to take the same stand.”
Two months ago, I pledged to vote only for #SCOTUS nominees who understand and acknowledge that Roe was wrongly decided. I stand by that commitment, and I call on my fellow Republican senators to take the same stand
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) September 19, 2020
His comments come the day after former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday at the age of 87 due to complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer. The late justice’s death has left a vacancy on the court less than two months before the 2020 presidential election. (RELATED: Moments After Trump Floats Tom Cotton For SCOTUS, Cotton Says ‘It’s Time For Roe V. Wade To Go’)
When Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh replaced former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy after a highly contentious confirmation process in September 2018, progressive groups, media and activists alike said Kavanaugh was the fifth vote needed to overturn Roe v. Wade. But those warnings didn’t come to fruition after the Supreme Court struck down a law in June that would have significantly restricted abortion access.
President Donald Trump floated a number of pro-life possible SCOTUS picks earlier this month, including Hawley, Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, and Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. Hawley made clear that he would not accept such a nomination.
It’s time for Roe v. Wade to go.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) September 9, 2020
“Missourians elected me to fight for them in the Senate, and I have no interest in the high court. I look forward to confirming constitutional conservatives,” Hawley said September 9.
Moments after Trump floated Cotton’s name, however, the Arkansas senator tweeted, “It’s time for Roe v. Wade to go.”
“Senator Cotton was chosen because evangelicals across the country know he has a real, strong record of standing up for the unborn and protecting religious liberty,” a source close to Cotton told the Daily Caller News Foundation at the time.
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