Supreme Court Nominee Barrett Readies for Meetings This Week on Capitol Hill
President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, will begin meeting with senators this week as Republicans push ahead with a rapid Senate confirmation process ahead of November’s presidential…
President Donald Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, will begin meeting with senators this week as Republicans push ahead with a rapid Senate confirmation process ahead of November’s presidential election over the objections of Democrats.
Trump on Saturday announced Barrett, 48, as his selection to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Sept. 18 at age 87. Barrett, who would be the fifth woman to serve on the high court, said she would be a justice in the mold of the late staunch conservative Antonin Scalia.
Her confirmation by the Senate would result in a 6-3 conservative majority on the court.
Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate and are aiming to hold a vote before the Nov. 3 election, in accordance with Trump’s wishes.
Trump, who is running for a second term against Democrat Joe Biden, has said he wants nine justices on the court so that it will have a full complement to tackle any election-related legal issues and possibly decide the outcome in his favor.
The only time in U.S. history the Supreme Court has had to resolve a presidential election was in 2000.
Barrett is set to start meeting with senators ahead of a multi-day confirmation hearing scheduled to begin on Oct. 12, when she will face questions about her judicial philosophy and approach to the law.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who chairs the committee, told Fox News on Sunday that the panel will likely vote on the nomination on Oct. 22, setting up a final vote on the Senate floor by the end of the month.