{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-doug-jones-statement-on-filling-the-supreme-court-vacancy-just-weeks-before-presidential-election", "Senator Doug Jones Statement on Filling the Supreme Court Vacancy Just Weeks Before Presidential Election", "2020-09-25", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Doug Jones", "J000300", "www.jones.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "BIRMINGHAM U.S. Senator Doug Jones of Alabama today issued the following statement on the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's passing:\r\nJustice Ginsburg was a role model and an inspiration. She was a brilliant and tireless advocate, a champion for fairness and equality, and her efforts have brought our country closer to the ideals upon which it was founded.\r\nIt is a poor reflectionofthe state of our national politics that, just hours afterJustice Ginsburg'spassing, we were thrust into a divisive partisan fight over her successor, denying the nation the time to mourn this extraordinary American's death. Just weeks from a national election, we are confronting a blatant power grab by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the President that will undermine the court and subvert the will of the American people.\r\nJust four years ago, Leader McConnell held open a Supreme Court seat for ten months before a presidential election because he said time and again that, in an election year, we must let the American people decide. If confirming a Supreme Court justice ten months prior to a presidential election would have denied the American people a voice,then isn't he now denying the American people a voice by rushing to confirm a justice just weeks before a presidential election?\r\nI believe the answer to this question is a resounding YES.This is especially true given the urgent legislative work we have yet to do.\r\nLeader McConnell should turn his focus instead to protecting the lives and livelihoods of the American people by bringing a new bipartisan COVID-19 relief package up for a vote.We also need to pass theNational Defense Authorization Actto support our military.We need to pass our annual funding bills instead of kicking the can down the road with yet another costly continuing resolution.We need to pass theJohnLewisVoting RightsAdvancementAct, whichhas languished in this Senate,in order to protect the right of all Americans to vote and participate in our democracy.\r\nConsequently, under these circumstances, I will not support the confirmation of any Supreme Court justice nominee before the election. We should not force the country into a brutal and divisive partisan confirmation fight while Americans are already voting to choose the next President.\r\nIf President Trump is re-elected, I will evaluate any pending or future nominee on their merits and vote for or against the nominee based solely on their qualifications.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.jones.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senator-doug-jones-statement-on-filling-the-supreme-court-vacancy-just-weeks-before-presidential-election"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6720350831747055, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}