共和党参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基反对继续前进填补最高法院空缺的投票留下的空缺公正鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格在……之前选举阿拉斯加参议员在周日的一份声明中说。
她是第二位反对在11月大选前填补空缺的共和党参议员，她和苏珊·科林斯一样。
穆尔科斯基说:“几个星期以来，我一直表示，我不支持在选举前夕填补最高法院的潜在空缺。”“可悲的是，当时的假设现在变成了现实，但我的立场没有改变。”
柯林斯和穆尔科斯基都表示，共和党控制的参议院阻止2016年提名梅里克·加兰法官在最高法院任职的举措指导了他们的决定。
凯文·迪特施/法新社，通过盖蒂图像，文件
2020年6月30日，在DC国会山，参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基在参议院健康、教育、劳工和养老金委员会听证会上提问。
当时，参议院共和党人认为，奥巴马提名人被认为离选举日太近了，当时离选举日还有近9个月。
“我们现在离2020年选举更近了——不到两个月——我相信同样的标准必须适用，”穆尔科斯基在声明中说。
阿尔·德拉戈/法新社，通过盖蒂图像，文件
2020年6月10日，DC国会，参议员苏珊·科林斯出席参议院小企业和企业家听证会，检查《关心法案》第一章的实施情况。
柯林斯目前正在缅因州激烈的连任竞选中，她也表示，她认为选举日太近了，无法投票给候选人。
柯林斯在一份声明中说:“最高法院终身任命的决定应该由11月3日当选的总统做出。”
为了阻止特朗普提名人，另外两名共和党参议员需要加入穆尔科斯基、柯林斯和参议院民主党人的行列。
一些共和党人尚未表明自己的立场，似乎遵循了多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)的指导。麦康奈尔在《华盛顿邮报》(Washington Post)获得并经美国广播公司(ABC News)证实的一封信中，敦促他的同事“保持沉默”。
人们将密切关注可能打破投票平衡的共和党人，包括犹他州参议员米特·罗姆尼(Mitt Romney)，他是今年年初唯一投票支持弹劾特朗普的共和党人，以及科罗拉多州参议员科里·加德纳(Cory Gardner)等特别脆弱的连任候选人。
但一些曾经强烈反对加兰进入最高法院的共和党人现在表示，他们将努力推动特朗普提名人进入法官席。
参议院司法委员会主席林赛·格雷厄姆(Lindsey Graham)等共和党人认为，与2016年参议院和白宫的控制权由两个部门瓜分相比，现在的情况不同了。
格雷厄姆周六在推特上写道:“我将支持@ realDonaldTrump总统为解决金斯伯格法官去世造成的最新空缺所做的任何努力。”
2016年，格雷厄姆辩称，他认为，在参议院和白宫由不同政党控制的时候，这个空缺离总统选举太近了。
格雷厄姆当时说:“如果2016年有一位共和党总统，而第一个任期的最后一年出现空缺，你可以说‘林赛·格雷厄姆说让我们让下一任总统提名，不管他是谁’，你可以用我的话来反对我，你绝对是对的。”
麦康奈尔周五表示，特朗普提出的一名候选人将在美国参议院获得投票，但他尚未具体说明时间表。目前还不清楚麦康奈尔是否打算在选举日之前领导参议院投票。
投票的时间可能会影响像穆尔科斯基这样的共和党人最终的立场。她周日的声明让人们不确定这位参议员在跛脚鸭会议期间会如何投票，尤其是在大选有可能改变白宫和参议院的控制权之后。
GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she 'would not support' taking up a Supreme Court nominee before election
Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is opposed tomoving forward witha vote to fill the Supreme Courtvacancy left byJusticeRuth Bader Ginsburgin the run-up to theelection, the Alaska senator said in a statement Sunday.
She joins Sen. Susan Collins as the second Republican senator to voice her opposition to filling the vacancy before the November election.
"For weeks, I have stated that I would not support taking up a potential Supreme Court vacancy this close to the election," Murkowski said. "Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed."
Collins and Murkowski have each said that the Republican-controlled Senate's move to block the 2016 nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to serve on the Supreme Court guided their decision.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski asks questions during the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, June 30, 2020.
At the time, Senate Republicans argued that the Obama-nominee was being considered too close to Election Day, which was nearly nine months away at the time.
"We are now even closer to the 2020 election -- less than two months out -- and I believe the same standard must apply," Murkowski said in the statement.
Senator Susan Collins attends the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Hearings to examine implementation of Title I of the CARES Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 10, 2020.
Collins, who is currently in a fierce re-election battle in Maine, also said she believes it is too near Election Day to vote on a nominee.
"The decision on a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court should be made by the President who is elected on November 3rd," Collins said in a statement.
In order to block a Trump nominee, two other Republican senators will need to join Murkowski, Collins and Senate Democrats.
Some Republicans have not yet stated their position, seemingly following the guidance of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who, in a letter obtained by the Washington Post and confirmed by ABC News, urged his colleagues to "keep your powder dry."
A close eye will be on the Republicans who could tip the balance of a vote, including, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the lone Republican to vote in favor of Trump's impeachment at the beginning of the year, and those up for reelection who are especially vulnerable, like Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner.
But some Republicans who were once fiercely opposed to installing Garland on the Supreme Court have now said they will work to push a Trump nominee to the bench.
Republicans, like Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, argue that the situation is different now, with Republicans controlling both the Senate and the White House, compared to 2016 when control was split between the branches.
"I will support President @realDonaldTrump in any effort to move forward regarding the recent vacancy created by the passing of Justice Ginsburg," Graham tweeted Saturday.
In 2016, Graham argued that he believed the vacancy came too close to a presidential election at a time when the Senate and the White House were controlled by different parties.
"If there is a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say 'Lindsey Graham said let us let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination' and you could use my words against me, and you would be absolutely right," Graham said at the time.
McConnell said Friday that a nominee put forward by Trump will receive a vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate, though he's yet to specify a timeline. It's not clear if McConnell intends to lead the Senate in a vote before Election Day.
The timing of the vote could impact how Republicans like Murkowski ultimately side. Her statement Sunday leaves uncertain how the senator might vote during the lame-duck session, especially following an election which has the potential to alter control of both the White House and the Senate.
