Washington, Oct 8 (AP/UNB) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is signaling that a Republican-controlled Senate would act on President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court in 2020, a presidential election year, should a vacancy arise.
McConnell had blocked a vote on Democratic President Barack Obama's choice of Merrick Garland to the high court in 2016, citing tradition of not filling vacancies in a presidential election year.
But when asked on "Fox News Sunday" if that would apply in 2020, McConnell said: "We'll see if there is a vacancy."
He says in 1880 a vacancy was not filled when the Senate was controlled by the party opposing the president.
Democrats often call McConnell hypocritical on his standard for considering nominees. The two oldest justices are Democratic appointees. Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 85; Stephen Breyer is 80.