McConnell’s Legacy to Endure in Conservative Federal Courts

Just hours elapsed between when Mitch McConnell learned about Justice Antonin Scalia’s death and his decision to block all attempts by Democrats to fill his seat.

That decision in February 2016 while on a tropical vacation in the US Virgin Islands is among the most momentous decisions for McConnell (R-Ky.) as Republican Senate leader.

He began by blocking President Barack Obama’s last Supreme Court nominee, saying there wasn’t enough time with less than a year left in the president’s seond term. Republicans would go on to fill three Supreme Court seats during Donald Trump’s presidency, cementing a 6-3 conservative majority ...