Ellison Vs Democratic Senators On Supreme Court Vacancy

Radical DNC Chairman candidate Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) is staying true to his extremist credentials with his latest Supreme Court comments. According to the New York Times, Ellison said that “eight is enough” when it comes to Supreme Court justices:

“’When it comes to the Supreme Court, eight is enough,’ said Representative Keith Ellison, a Minnesota Democrat who is one of the top contenders to be the chairman of the Democratic National Committee. ‘They literally stole a Supreme Court justice from President Obama, so I see no reason why we should facilitate them putting in some right-wing extremist.’”

While Ellison wants to lead the Democratic Party, comments like this one, which show how divided the Democratic Party is, won’t help his case. That’s because many Democratic Senators are already on record saying that the Supreme Court needs nine justices to properly function. See below for the comments of leading Democratic Senators directly contradicting Ellison on this subject:

Senator Elizabeth Warren: “Mr. President, it is disgraceful that the Republicans are blocking confirmation of these judges. It is even more disgraceful that 18 additional nominees haven’t even had hearings yet, including Merrick Garland, who has now waited longer than any Supreme Court nominee in the history of the United States to receive a confirmation vote, while our highest court continues to deadlock on issue after issue of importance to this nation.”

Senator Chuck Schumer: “And just this morning we received a reminder on why it’s important to have a full court. A deadlocked four to four upheld a lower court decision preventing two women from suing a bank for discrimination. So many things will be put on hold when there are four to four decisions and it’s going to hurt progress in America whether it’s economic or social justice in any way. Cases deserve a resolution from a full court.”

Senator Dianne Feinstein: “Now, of course the court isn’t going to deadlock in every case, but the potential for deadlock is greatly increased when the court only has eight members and the court previously was divided 5-4 frequently. Tie votes in the court do not settle the disputes heard by the court, and they don’t create precedent for other cases. This means uncertainty in the law continues, and the law varies around the country when it could have been settled. This is why as President Reagan said before Justice Kennedy was confirmed, and I quote, ‘every day that passes with the Supreme Court below full strength, impairs the people’s business in that crucially important body,’ end quote.”

Senator Cory Booker: “. “The Supreme Court’s missing a justice, and because of that vacation, cases have resulted in 4-4 tie votes. As a result of those 4-4 decisions, we lack a national precedent in cases that could guide lower courts, bringing resolutions that are necessary for ordinary Americans who go before our justice system seeking justice as was intended in the constitution.”

Senator Dick Durbin: “. And I looked up to the nine chairs on the Supreme Court and obviously one was vacant. There are only eight. And if this court on this case or others cannot resolve it with the majority and votes 4-4 on the case, it invites confusion and chaos in one of the most critical branches of our government.”