Judge Amy Coney Barrettās confirmation hearing to the Supreme Court broke into Washington, D.C., at an already historical moment: the nation is still fighting a pandemic, the presidential election is less than a month away and talks of a stimulus bill have hit a wall.
Many of the Democrats focused on the Trump administrationās attempts to kill the Affordable Care Act but Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) had a simpler messaging, saying, āThis is not normal.ā
Booker said in his opening statement, āWeāre here because in the middle of a deadly pandemic, in the middle of an ongoing election, Senate Republicans have found a nominee in Judge Barrett who they know will do what they couldnāt do: subvert the will of the American people and overturn the ACA and overturn Roe v. Wade.ā
The New Jersey lawmaker accused Republicans of ādesperately rushing to complete this process before America starts voting.ā
He added, āThis is a charade when they say this a normal Judiciary Committee hearing for a Supreme Court nomination. There is nothing about this thatās normal. Itās not normal that Senate Republicans are rushing through a confirmation hearing, violating their own words, their own statements, betraying the trust of the American people and their colleagues.ā
Booker summarized his remarks by saying, āNothing about this today is normal. This is not normal. What is going on in America today, in the midst of a deadly pandemic in an ongoing election, having a rushed Supreme Court nomination hearing is not normal and we cannot normalize. People are voting right now, the American people should decide. The American people should decide.ā
Though the Democrats put up fiery arguments against Barrettās confirmation, there is little that they can do to keep her off the Supreme Court. The Republicans have a majority and theyāre expected to easily have the votes to put Barrett on the court, which would cement a conservative majority on the nationās highest court.