Here & Now

Baldwin on Supreme Court

Frederica Freyberg:

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was honored as the first woman to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol today following her death a week ago. Tomorrow, President Trump will announce his pick for her replacement. Republicans want to vote ahead of the election on the president’s nominee. Democrats decry that move, including Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin who joins us now and thanks very much for being here.

Tammy Baldwin:

My pleasure. Thank you.

Frederica Freyberg:

How powerful was it for you to pay your respects at the Capitol to Justice Ginsburg?

Tammy Baldwin:

Oh, it was — it was a lovely arrival ceremony, and it just made me reflect on her legacy, on how every day of her adult life she moved forward in the name of justice. And one of the speakers at the ceremony talked about the meaning of the word — or the meaning that Ruth Bader Ginsburg gave to her dissents. When she was writing a dissent, it wasn’t for now or the past. It was providing the arguments for the future so that we could keep on marching forward. And it was just beautiful to think of it in that way.

Frederica Freyberg:

In 2016 you wanted to vote for Barack Obama’s nominee before the election. Why the switch now?

Tammy Baldwin:

Well, in 2016 Mitch McConnell announced a new standard: no votes on confirmation of Supreme Court justices in an election year. Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland in February of the election year. Now that Republicans are in control of the Senate and the White House, Mitch McConnell says my standard goes by the wayside. That’s the height of hypocrisy and duplicity. It’s a power grab. And for me it’s especially meaningful because I know how high the stakes are at the court. Seven days after the election, the court is going to hear a case in which President Trump is arguing for overturning of the Affordable Care Act and the protections that people have if they have a preexisting health condition they can still get affordable insurance. This is during a pandemic. So one of the issues I know Wisconsinites care most deeply about is at stake in this decision. I dissent and object to Mitch McConnell and the president trying to do this while Wisconsinites are already voting. It is the next president and the next Senate who should deal with this confirmation.

Frederica Freyberg:

On the election, what do you make of President Trump saying he could reject a peaceful transfer of power if he loses?

Tammy Baldwin:

You know, for me it’s another step in a long pattern of undermining our democracy. The idea that he would not heed the voices of the people in a government of, by and for the people is outrageous. And I think we all must stand for the principle that the people decide who our president and vice president are going to be. And, you know, it was just appalling to hear him say those words.

Frederica Freyberg:

We just spoke with Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson about his investigation and report on Hunter Biden. What’s your response to that report?

Tammy Baldwin:

Well, it showed nothing, basically. But the timing and use of taxpayer resources and investigatory resources at a time when we’re in the middle of a pandemic, when that very committee oversees the U.S. Postal Service and we’re experiencing dangerous and harmful delays in the delivery of our mail, that he’s just recycling old theories is a misuse and disrespect of taxpayers and taxpayer resources.

Frederica Freyberg:

On the pandemic, how committed are Congressional Democrats to reaching a comprehensive relief package deal?

Tammy Baldwin:

It is the thing we should be doing rather than going through confirmation hearings and having this Republican power grab. It is exactly providing relief for so many struggling Americans, families, small businesses. That should be our sole focus between now and Election Day and beyond. The president sort of walked away from the negotiating table several weeks ago. We need the White House back there. And the harm is being experienced now, and I just sometimes feel as though Mitch McConnell and some of my Republican colleagues do not understand, are not in touch with the real struggles. And the other thing we’re talking about pandemic relief, economic relief and stimulus, but let’s just note that Wisconsin is facing record numbers of new coronavirus cases nine months into this pandemic, which also shows the failure of leadership of this president.

Frederica Freyberg:

I’m afraid with just about a minute left, your response to the charging decision in the Breonna Taylor case?

Tammy Baldwin:

It is so heart-breaking that Breonna Taylor’s life was taken and nobody is going to be held appropriately accountable, in my opinion. I do agree with calls to open and make public the materials that were shared with the grand jury so we can find out whether they really got the facts and the question posed to them that would allow accountability in this tragic, tragic case.

Frederica Freyberg:

We leave it there. Senator Tammy Baldwin, thanks very much.

Tammy Baldwin:

Thank you.