Supreme Court

Lisa Murkowski Becomes 2nd GOP Senator to Oppose Pre-Election Supreme Court Vote

Murkowski and Susan Collins of Maine have said they would not vote for a Supreme Court nominee ahead of the election

Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Greg Nash- Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Sunday became the second GOP senator to publicly oppose voting on a new Supreme Court nominee 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 in a statement. "Sadly, what was then a hypothetical is now our reality, but my position has not changed."

Murkowski joins Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, facing a tough re-election battle, in opposing taking up President Donald Trump's forthcoming nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Ginsburg died Friday at 87 from complications from pancreatic cancer.

"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," she continued. "We are now even closer to the 2020 election – less than two months out – and I believe the same standard must apply.”

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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