With Democrats boycotting the proceedings, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 12-0 on Thursday morning to send the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate, paving the way for a vote next Monday, insuring that Barrett will be on the Supreme Court before the November elections.
“I’ve been here a while, and I’ve never seen anyone more capable than Judge Barrett on the law,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who chided Democrats for boycotting the panel’s vote.
“That was their choice,” Graham said, as Democrats placed large poster board photographs of people in their seats, a reminder of their warning that Barrett will join conservatives next month in striking down the Obama health law.
"The nomination will be reported favorably to the floor with a unanimous vote."
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 22, 2020
The Senate Judiciary Committee votes 12-0 on Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
The Democratic members of the committee boycotted the vote.
Full video here: https://t.co/pr016HA7sw pic.twitter.com/vnm9VmXcUd
The action came as Democrats continued to fume over the process, still angry about the refusal of Republicans to act on the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland in 2016.
“The United States Senate have never - never - considered a Supreme Court Justice this close to a national Presidential election,” said Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, who ridiculed the GOP plan to vote on Barrett eight days before the November 3 elections.
“I am sure that if they had to, the Republican majority would confirm a Supreme Court Justice eight minutes before Election Day,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
"The only way the Republican majority was able to [advance Barrett's nomination] was by breaking the rules of the committee," says Sen. Coons, referring to the Judiciary Committee rule that 2 members of minority must be present to do business. Graham ignored that rule today. pic.twitter.com/ggPu2SRkX1
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 22, 2020
The nearest to an election the Senate had ever confirmed a Supreme Court Justice was late July in 1888, 1892, and 1916.