Potential President Harris could face Senate GOP roadblock for any Supreme Court pick
The next president could have the power to dramatically reshape the Supreme Court with one or more appointments. But for Vice President Kamala Harris, that might not be possible.
If Republicans regain control of the Senate, Harris would have to rely on the next GOP leader to schedule a vote on a Supreme Court nominee.
And in interviews with CNN last week, the two leading candidates to replace Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would not commit to putting a Harris Supreme Court nominee on the floor for a confirmation vote.
“It depends,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said when asked whether a Harris Supreme Court pick would get a vote in a Senate that he would lead. “Obviously, they would have to go through the committee process. … And then I think it would also depend on who the president nominates.”
Cornyn added: “If I’m in a position to make the decision, I’m not going to schedule a vote on some wild-eyed radical nominee, which I know she would love to nominate.”
Senate GOP Whip John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, had a similar refrain.
“We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it,” Thune said when asked last week whether he’d allow a Harris Supreme Court pick to be confirmed. “But, you know, it probably depends on who it is, and that’s the advantage of having a Republican Senate.”
The next GOP leader will be decided in the lame-duck session of Congress after the November elections.
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