Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in an interview published Tuesday that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg should remain on the court as long as possible.
Murray said the liberal justice’s voice on the court is extremely important even as some have urged her to retire so President Obama could nominate a successor while Democrats control the Senate.
{mosads}”I think Justice Ginsburg is doing an outstanding job,” Murray told The Huffington Post in an interview. “She is completely capable and has very thoughtful and articulate opinions, and I think she should stay as long as she can.”
Ginsburg received praise from liberals for her strong dissent last month in the Hobby Lobby decision, in which the majority ruled that some for-profit companies could opt out of paying for employees’ contraception coverage if they have religious objections.
Murray and other Democrats have introduced legislation to largely invalidate the ruling.
“I think Ruth Bader Ginsburg has done an outstanding job and a service and is very capable, and her ability is just really important, and her voice on the court is extremely important right now,” Murray added.
The end of the court’s term last month brought another round of speculation about the retirement of Ginsburg, who is 81. She is expected to be the next justice to retire, but she has said in the past that judges should politically time their retirement.
In December, she said the most important question is can you do the job.
“Can you think as well? Can you write with the same fluency? At my age, you take it year by year. I’m OK this year,” she said at the time.