Currently, there are 53 GOP senators -- meaning they can only lose three Republicans if Vice President Mike Pence stepped in to cast a tie-breaking vote. The Supreme Court plays a fundamental role in the defense of our Constitution and in the protection of our rights and liberties. Once the president puts forward his nominee for the Supreme Court, I will carry out my duty—as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee—to evaluate the nominee for our nation's highest court." In a floor speech on Monday, McConnell defended his vow that a nominee will get a Senate vote, adding that "the Senate has more than sufficient time to process a nomination. Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, who has said his support for a Supreme Court justice is contingent on whether the nominee believes Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case on abortion, is "wrongly decided," said Barrett, an appeals court judge, meets that test.

Source: CNN September 21, 2020 20:59 UTC