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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Cruz Says Supreme Court Will Have Another Vacancy by Summer

Sen. Ted Cruz told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday that he believes there will be another vacancy on the Supreme Court by this summer, a development that would presumably tilt the court decidedly to the right.

(CN) - Sen. Ted Cruz told attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday that he believes there will be another vacancy on the Supreme Court by this summer, a development that would presumably tilt the court decidedly to the right.

The Texas Republican gleefully told the attendees that "as much as the left is crazy now, they will go full Armageddon" when that happens.

Cruz said that filling the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia last year would "preserve constitutional victories" under the prior court.

Cruz then declared "the next vacancy is where we have the ability to get back and restore our basic constitutional protections."

He didn't say which justice he thought might retire, though Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 83 and swing vote Anthony Kennedy is 80.

Also on the stage Thursday were White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and top Trump administration strategist Stephen Bannon, who said media reports of their having disagreements over policy are nonsense.

Bannon called Priebus "indefatigable."

Priebus responde by saying Bannon is "dogged" and "incredibly loyal."

Both called on conservatives to stay active in helping Trump enact an agenda that Bannon says centers on a "nationalist economic" approach.

Bannon says: "We are a nation with a culture and a reason for being."

Preceding them in the day's lineup was Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who defending President Donald Trump's decision to rescind public-school bathroom rules for transgender students.

DeVos said, "This was a huge example of the Obama administration's overreach."

She said the guidance rolled out Wednesday night was "one-size fits all" and "top-down."

DeVos also said her approach as education secretary going forward will be to put as much control as possible into state, local and parental hands.

She also said she wants to provide more flexibility on how education is delivered and experienced.

Along those lines, DeVos said with Trump in the White House and Republicans controlling Congress, conservatives now have a "unique window of opportunity" to expand school choice programs.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Categories / Government, National, Politics

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