{"id":63708,"date":"2020-09-21T02:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T10:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/eyes-turn-to-alaskas-senators-amid-supreme-court-vacancy\/"},"modified":"2020-09-21T02:30:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-21T10:30:00","slug":"eyes-turn-to-alaskas-senators-amid-supreme-court-vacancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juneauempire.com\/news\/eyes-turn-to-alaskas-senators-amid-supreme-court-vacancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Eyes turn to Alaska’s senators amid Supreme Court vacancy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t\t\t
Members of Alaska’s congressional delegation gave different responses as to whether they believe a Supreme Court justice should be appointed ahead of Election Day — but only one has so far shared a definite opinion.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican, is back in the national spotlight as she and Susan Collins of Maine, also a Republican, may be two holdouts in the GOP as President Donald Trump moves to quickly fill the seat vacated by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
In a statement, Murkowski said<\/a> she didn’t believe in taking up judicial nominations this close to an election.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I did not support taking up a nomination eight months before the 2016 election to fill the vacancy created by the passing of Justice (Antonin) Scalia. We are now even closer to the 2020 election — less than two months out — and I believe the same standard must apply,” she said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t [Justice Ginsburg dies at 87<\/a>]<\/ins><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t In an interview Friday, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said that he had only just learned of Ginsburg’s death moments before the interview and said now was the time to be respectful.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “I think right now the moment is to be respectful and remember her legacy which is an important legacy, trailblazing legacy. There’ll be plenty of opportunity to talk about next steps after this,” he said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Sullivan supported withholding President Barack Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland in 2016 saying in a statement his decision was based on principle.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t “The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally change the direction of the Court for years to come. Alaskans deserve to have a voice in that direction through their vote, and we will ensure that they have one,” Sullivan said in March of 2016<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t Amanda Coyne with Sullivan’s office said Monday in an email the senator was traveling and will be releasing a statement in the near future.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t