Despite a coronavirus outbreak that has hospitalized the president, infected a host of his staff and Republican allies, and forced the Senate to pause all votes for two weeks, Senate Republicans are pushing forward with the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. There’s an in-person hearing scheduled for Oct. 12.
“We’re going to have a hearing for Amy Barrett, the nominee to the Supreme Court,” Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said over the weekend about the first, major step in the process. “It will be done safely — but I’ve got a job to do, and I’m pressing on.”
It’s obvious why Republicans want to plow through: They have a legacy-defining chance to tilt the Supreme Court for years to come, and their ability to do that gets more uncertain after the election. What if they lose the White House and Senate majority? Continue reading.