As expected, the Senate Judiciary Committee cleared yesterday the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
With the committee Democrats boycotting the Judiciary Committee activities, her nomination was approved 12 – 0 by the Republicans. The full Senate could take up her nomination as soon as next Monday. Read more about the developments here and here.
With the committee Democrats boycotting, the Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans are scheduled this morning to vote on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett. Democrats have argued that the committee Republicans are violating the rules of the committee by voting without the presence of at least two members of the minority party. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has scheduled a vote on Judge Barrett’s nomination before the full Senate for next Monday.
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to wrap later today its third and last day of questioning of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. During the hearing earlier this morning, the committee agreed to officially vote on her nomination next Thursday, October 22, at 1 PM ET.
After much back and forth between the two parties and between Senate Democrats and the White House for the past several weeks, the confirmation process for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court kicks off today with the first day of her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to last four days. The rest of Congress is currently in recess. Two of the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, which is holding the hearing, have tested for COVID-19. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, is also a member of the committee.
Read more about the confirmation hearing and the process here and here.
With a flood of COVID-19-related developments unfolding over the weekend in our nation’s capital, the Senate schedule has been scrambled for at least the next several weeks.
As at least three GOP Senators have tested positive for the illness– Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin– and a number of others are in quarantine as a result of exposure to them, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Senate floor activities would be postponed at least until the week of October 19. However, he added that the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett would take place as scheduled the week of October 12. Both Tillis and Lee are members of the Judiciary, which will consider the nomination.
Even if the hearings can take place next week– most likely virtually for several Senators– it remains to be seen when votes on the nomination might actually take place in the committee and on the floor, as a quorum must be present for votes to take place. Democrats have argued that it makes no sense to proceed while the floor proceedings are halted.