Irish-American politicians pay tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg

A number of prominent Irish American politicians have paid tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg after the Supreme Court judge died on Friday night.

Ginsburg died at the age of 87 on Friday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. She had served in Supreme Court for 27 years and was just the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Democratic Nominee Joe Biden described Ginsburg as an American hero and a relentless voice in the pursuit of equality.

"Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us. She was an American hero, a giant of legal doctrine, and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal: Equal Justice Under Law. May her memory be a blessing to all people who cherish our Constitution and its promise," Biden wrote on Twitter.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg stood for all of us. She was an American hero, a giant of legal doctrine, and a relentless voice in the pursuit of that highest American ideal: Equal Justice Under Law. May her memory be a blessing to all people who cherish our Constitution and its promise.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 19, 2020

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, meanwhile, said that Ginsburg was the embodiment of true justice.

"Our hearts are broken with the news of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg was a pioneer in the fight for equal rights & a role model to young women across the country. She was brilliant and an advocate for freedom of speech, reproductive rights, & civil rights," Markey said.

Former President Bill Clinton, who nominated Ginsburg to the Supreme Court in 1993, said that she was one of the most extraordinary justices to ever serve on the Supreme Court.

"We have lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union. And her powerful dissents reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril."

We have lost one of the most extraordinary Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and landmark opinions moved us closer to a more perfect union. And her powerful dissents reminded us that we walk away from our Constitution’s promise at our peril. pic.twitter.com/dDECiBxae6
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) September 19, 2020

President Donald Trump said that Ginsburg was renowned for her brilliant mind and powerful dissents and that her Supreme Court decisions helped to inspire generations of legal minds and all Americans.

However, Trump could solidify conservative control in the Supreme Court if he chooses to nominate a successor before November's election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed on Friday that Trump's nominee to replace Ginsburg in the Supreme Court would be put to a vote in the Senate.

McConnell's announcement outraged Democrats, who said that any vote on Ginsburg's successor should be held until January.

Joe Biden was chief amongst McConnell's critics.

"The voters should pick a president, and that president should select a successor to Justice Ginsburg," Biden said.

Furthermore, Mitch McConnell refused to hold a Senate vote on former President Barack Obama's Supreme Court Nominee Merrick Garland in 2016, arguing that it was too close to the 2016 presidential election.

Senate Democrats argue that now is not the moment to pitch the Senate into a partisan battle over the next nomination for the Supreme Court.

Some Republican Senators, however, argue that it is imperative to have nine judges sitting on the Supreme Court by the presidential election on Nov. 3.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz, for example, said: "I think we risk a constitutional crisis if we do not have a nine-justice Supreme Court, particularly when there is such a risk of contested litigation and a contested election."

Senators would have to work at record pace to install a new judge before the election in November since the average Supreme Court nomination process takes more than two months.

Some Democrats believe that the attempts to nominate Ginsburg's replacement in record time are an attempt to consolidate Republican power in the Supreme Court before control of the White House and Senate potentially changes hands in November.