1:28
When Garland was nominated, Republicans controlled the Senate. Romney, echoing the argument many Republicans have made in recent days, said he believes the circumstances are different now because Republicans have control of both the White House and the Senate.
\"I think there's some perception on the part of some writers and others that, 'Gee, what happened with Merrick Garland and some others was unfair.' I don't agree with that,\" Romney said. \"It wasn't unfair because it was consistent with history.\"
Romney's announcement keeps him in lockstep with McConnell who on Tuesday said \"history and precedent were on this Senate majority side in 2016 and they are overwhelmingly on our side now.\"
Other Republicans are also lining up behind McConnell.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia also announced Tuesday that she believes President Trump should be allowed to fill the vacancy left by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Without at least four Republicans joining their efforts to block the nomination, Democrats have few means to stop McConnell from moving forward.
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans Tuesday of using \"brute political force\" to push for a quick vote despite laying out a different set of rules in 2016.
\"Leader McConnell has defiled the Senate like no one in this generation and Leader McConnell may very well destroy it,\" Schumer said on the Senate floor. \"If leader McConnell presses forward the Republican majority would have stolen two Supreme Court seats four years apart using completely contradictory rationales.\"
Sen. Chuck Schumer: \"Leader McConnell has defiled the Senate like no one in this generation. And Leader McConnell may very well destroy it.\" https://t.co/tvPKCyJDEm pic.twitter.com/goeQAOJ9qa
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 22, 2020
On \"This Week\" on Sunday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday suggested to ABC Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos that Democrats were considering all procedural options at their disposal to delay a nominee, not ruling out a new impeachment effort.
\"We have our options,\" Pelosi said. \"We have arrows in our quiver that I'm not about to discuss right now but the fact is we have a big challenge in our country.\"
In days since, some Democrats have signaled they could be open to adding additional justices to the Supreme Court bench if Democrats were to take the Senate majority in November.
McConnell, also on the Senate floor Tuesday, said Democrats are stoking \"outrage and hysteria.\"
\"Giving in to political blackmail would not do a thing to secure our institutions,\" McConnell said. \"You do not put a stop to irresponsible hostage taking by making hostage-taking a winning strategy.\"
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