A Major Development

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died unexpectedly yesterday. One of the high court's so-called liberals, she was an important champion and voice for LGBT rights, women's rights, minority rights, and so much more.

Her passing adds an explosively divisive new issue into the 2020 election season, both for the White House and for Senate seats. Republican Senators almost certainly will try to vote on a new nominee before the election because this would replace the so-called liberal seat with a conservative one.

Republicans currently hold a slim 53-seat majority. Two Republican senators have already said they won't vote on a nominee before the election, so that makes that majority narrower. Others Republicans have said in the recent past that a Senate vote this year would be inappropriate.

Given that close to a dozen other Senate Republicans face difficult reelection battles this year, with some of them well behind in the polls, they have far less incentive to vote on a nominee before the election, particularly if they're in swing states that could go either way.

Nevertheless, if Republicans do manage to confirm a candidate before the election, or before Inauguration Day if Trump loses the White House, not all hope is lost if Democrats win a majority in the Senate and the presidency in November's election. A new Congress and a Democratic President could agree to increase the number of Supreme Court seats, which is done by legislation, not constitutional amendment.

With all this said, the November election has just become exponentially more important. LGBT rights will be taken away if conservatives have a clear Supreme Court majority. Other important rights affecting all Americans will vanish, too.

Voting is now of the greatest importance. So is volunteering and contributing if you can. Learn more about registering to vote and check your registration status by clicking here.