“(If) it is a lame-duck session, I would support going ahead with any hearings that we might have,” Ernst, a Republican, said during a taping of the Iowa Press show on Iowa PBS. “And if it comes to an appointment prior to the end of the year, I would be supportive of that.”…

“I wish nothing but the best of health for Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” Ernst said. “I think we all do. And I’ll be praying for her.”…

Since then, Grassley has said a Supreme Court seat should be left vacant in an election year. He reiterated those comments in a call with reporters Friday morning.

Ernst, though, disagreed on Friday, saying the situation is “different,” even though Americans are less than four months away from a highly competitive presidential election. President Trump’s re-election prospects are far from certain as Biden, the Democratic nominee, makes gains in polls of some key battleground states.