Justice Ginsburg was admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland early this morning for treatment of a possible infection. She was initially evaluated at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. last night after experiencing fever and chills. She underwent an endoscopic procedure at Johns Hopkins this afternoon to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August. The Justice is resting comfortably and will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.
— Supreme Court spokesperson
Asked at a press conference if he had any response to the news of Ginsburg’s hospitalization, President Trump said: “I wish her the best, I hope she’s better. … She’s actually giving me some good rulings.”
Yeah, Don. That’s what matters.
Right now Mitch McConnell is sticking pins in a tiny little doll in a bun and glasses.
Actually, even if she were to die now, Mitch McConnell would certainly not confirm a new judge this close to the election. He’ll wait to let the people weigh in on who should appoint them.
An ‘interesting’ question could be, what if the Justice died after the election, and Trump lost, but before Inauguration? Is Congress even in session then to advise and consent during the lame duck period? Or if the Justice died before the election, but the nomination process dragged into the lame duck period?
May a President who has been voted out of office, but before his/her successor takes the oath, appoint a Supreme Court Justice, assuming the other requirements for appointment have been completed?
I’m positive that if RBG died after the election, and Trump lost, Mitch would move heaven and earth to get Trump’s pick confirmed before Inauguration Day. Anything more I have to say on the subject would need to go in the Pit…
Congressional Research Services paper on the powers and transition procedures of an incumbent, lame duck President: Presidential Transitions: Issues Involving Outgoing and Incoming Administrations Page 37 goes into judicial appointments. . Notably, it was the trend for at least the prior 15 years or so (and another CRS paper discusses the time before that) for the Senate to not
approve U.S. circuit court nominations during a presidential election year past June or July of the election year, regardless of whether it is the fourth or eighth year of a presidency.
So, if Trump has the approved nomination in hand, he can appoint a new Justice. Right up until the day stated in the Twentieth Amendment, January 20th.
So the sole thing keeping this nation from sliding into conservative pandemonium is one woman in her nineties? I don’t know about you, but I think that, if true, it says uncomfortable things about the fragility of literally anything this nation builds.
I suggest trying to keep calm and stop obsessing over her. She’d probably say the same. I know exactly where the mood comes from, but there’s enough to worry about these days.
I need antacid every time I hear anything about her having so much as a headache. When I see or hear reports of her going to the hospital, I skip the Pepto and go straight for the liquor store.
No, RBG actually told a group at a talk here in the 2000’s during GW’s presidency that she was deliberately holding off on retiring until a Democrat was back in the White House. Then, after her husband died in 2010, she decided to hang on to her work for longer. Little did she realize how long she’d be holding on for!
