WASHINGTON – Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and her fellow Senate Democrats have an opportunity for the first time in years to get a nominee from the left confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, after Republicans pushed through three justices during Donald Trump's White House tenure.
In an interview, Klobuchar said she isn't ruling out that Biden's future nominee could get some Republican support. She pointed to GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham backing two of then-President Barack Obama's Supreme Court picks as an example.
"I don't think we should immediately jump to the conclusion that it's going to be a partisan vote," Klobuchar said. "I am not naïve to think that we would ever get the vast majority of Republicans."
As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Klobuchar will play a leading part in Democrats' quest to confirm a new Supreme Court justice to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer at a time when the party narrowly holds control of the chamber.
"I've actually gotten to know [Breyer], have a lot of respect for him," Klobuchar said. "But I was the one that said if he's going to make the decision, he should do it sooner rather than later and not right up against an election, because it becomes so political and more of a mess."
News of Breyer's upcoming retirement comes more than nine months before the midterm elections when Senate Democrats are at risk of losing control of the chamber to Republicans.
"He didn't do it because of me, he did it because of his own decision," Klobuchar added about Breyer. "But I think this is an exciting moment for us to remind people what the judiciary is about and what judges are about."
Replacing Breyer, who was nominated by Democratic President Bill Clinton, won't cut into conservatives' control of the court that was cemented during the Trump era.
