McConnell on court schedule: 'This is not 2016'

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell renewed his vow to vote on a new Supreme Court justice this fall, taking to the Senate floor Thursday to reject Democrats’ demands to put it off until next year.

Democrats, still seething over the way Republicans blocked consideration of a pick in 2016 ahead of the presidential election, say that standard should be expanded to include congressional elections as well.

Mr. McConnell said that was completely different.

“This is not 2016. These aren’t the final months of a second-term, constitutionally lame-duck presidency with a presidential election fast approaching. We are right in the middle of this president’s first term,” he said.

He said it’s more accurate to compare this year to 2010, when President Obama nominated and the Democratic-led Senate confirmed Justice Elena Kagan, or 1994, when President Clinton nominated and a Democrat-majority Senate confirmed Justice Stephen G. Breyer.

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