In what became a tactical procedural battle, the US Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled a final committee vote date for the advancement of the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the full Senate.
Captaining a process that was often wrought with partisan politics and failed tactics meant to obstruct the process, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), delivered on his promise to bring forth a committee vote on Barrett’s nomination.
The fourth day of proceedings was meant to be full of testimony from representatives from the American Bar Association, Barrett’s colleagues, and potentates concerned of the consequences of her being seated on the High Court. Instead, it turned into an exercise that exampled just how desperate Democrats are to obstruct Barrett’s nomination process.
At the outset the effort to derail the nomination hearings commenced, with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), arriving in the chamber as the only minority party member. The move was meant to challenge the quorum rule, which states that in addition to a quorum, two minority party members must be present.
“Under the rules of this committee you cannot proceed with the business of the committee, even with a quorum present, unless there are two members of the minority present as well,” Durbin told Graham who sits as chairman of the committee. “I want to take official note of the fact that I am the only member of the minority that is here.”
Citing the telegraphing of the tactic to obstruct first uttered by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who said Democrats, “will not supply the quorum. Period,” Graham moved to override Durbin’s objections and scheduled the vote for October 22, 2020.
Looks like @LindseyGrahamSC just stuffed @SenatorDurbin’s effort to block a procedural vote by denying the committee the necessary number of Democrats. Graham, noting @SenSchumer’s vow to put all methods “on the table” to stop Republicans, overruled Durbin and went ahead with it.
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) October 15, 2020
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), then launched the opening barrage by moving to “indefinitely delay” the vote on Barrett, which led to claims of hypocrisy, personal attacks on Barrett, and a claim that the entire nomination and conformation process was a “sham.”
“I believe that this rush, sham process is a disservice to our committee,” Blumenthal said.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who was denied her penchant for applying a religious test to judicial nominations, said, “It’s going to create a lot of bad will that doesn’t need to be created.”
Senate Democrats just denied Republicans the quorum they needed in Judiciary.
But Senator Graham just further proved the illegitimacy of this sham process by AGAIN breaking the rules to ram through a justice to rip away health care from millions in the middle of a pandemic.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 15, 2020
Democrats have ignored that sitting presidents and duly elected members of the Senate have held confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominees in election years 29 times.
As it stands now, given a party-line vote by the full US Senate, Amy Cony Barrett will be elevated to Justice on the US Supreme Court before the November 3, 2020, General Election.
