Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday night said his party has enough votes to confirm a new Supreme Court justice before the November election.
“We’ve got the votes to confirm Justice Ginsburg’s replacement before the election,” Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
“We’re going to move forward in the committee, we’re going to report the nomination out of the committee to the floor of the United States Senate so we can vote before the election.”
Earlier Monday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was a bit more vague, vowing to hold a floor vote “this year” on President Trump’s nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Trump said he would announce his nominee, a woman, on Friday or Saturday.
Republicans, who hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, need at least 50 votes to confirm a nominee.
Two GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, indicated they would not vote to confirm a justice before the Nov. 3 election.
But two other key Republicans, Senators Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, and Cory Gardner, of Colorado, both pledged support to vote before the election.