“I want you to use my words against me. If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say, Lindsey Graham said, let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination. And you could use my words against me and you’d be absolutely right. If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term and the primary process is started, we’ll wait till the next election.” “There is a long tradition that you don’t do this in an election year. The Senate is advising right now, we’re advising that a lame duck president in an election year is not going to be able to tip the balance of the Supreme Court.” “I think it is particularly important that the Senate take it up and confirm this nomination before the election, because Joe Biden has been explicit, he has said, if he doesn’t win, he’s going to challenge this election. He’s going to go to court, he’s going to challenge, he’s already hired a big legal team, Hillary Clinton has told Joe Biden, under no circumstances should you concede. Given that, there is a serious risk of a constitutional crisis.” “It’s campaign season, we’re right in the middle of it. And one of the most important issues now is this: Who will Americans trust to nominate the next Supreme Court justice? As senators, it leaves us with a choice. Will we allow the people to continue deciding who will nominate the next justice, or will we empower a lame duck president to make that decision on his way out the door?” “President Trump’s nominee for this vacancy will receive a vote on the floor of the Senate. The Senate has more than sufficient time to process the nomination. History and precedent make that perfectly clear.”