Letter to the editor: Toomey's hypocrisy on RBG

A letter to Sen. Pat Toomey:

You conveniently and repeatedly frame your decision about approving a new justice to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a way that is untruthful. Stating the circumstances are different now, as the Senate and the presidency are controlled by the same party, does not change the hypocrisy of your current hedging along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and so many other disingenuous Republican senators.

First, that is not how you or others framed it in 2016. Second, that vacancy occurred 10 months before the election, while RBG’s death occurred just before an election that may change the fabric of the entire executive branch. Third, President Obama waited a respectful time before putting forth Judge Merrick Garland.

Fourth, we are now in the midst of an election, and early voting has already begun. Fifth, a most important court case is scheduled Nov. 10, to determine the status of the Affordable Care Act, and this administration still has no comprehensive plan to replace it (in my opinion, a weak and vague executive order on preexisting conditions does not count).

This is no time to push through a new justice who has made her views on this subject known, and adding her vote may jeopardize health care for so many during a pandemic, handled so poorly, resulting in more than 200,000 deaths.

Lisa Messineo

Penn Township, Westmoreland County