The White House is planning to hold a swearing-in ceremony on Monday night if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
The Senate is expected to confirm Barrett — President Donald Trump’s nominee — during Monday’s vote as Republicans control the upper chamber. She would succeed liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said, “We expect for a swearing in to happen later this evening if all goes well,” according to The Hill.
“We’re doing…the best we can to encourage as much social distancing as possible. It’ll be outdoors if it goes off as planned right now,” he added. “And still continue to do testing in and around those that are critical to the mission to try to get there.”
The White House chief of staff also pushed back on criticism of a “super-spreader” Rose Garden event in late September where Barrett was nominated.
Meadows said, “The very first event, while there’s a whole lot of connects that have been made with who was at the event and who came down with it, we’ve been able to look at that and track as many as three different areas where the virus actually infected different people within the White House. So it didn’t all come from that particular event.”
Meadows announces a likely swearing-in for Barrett this evening. Will be outside weather permitting. pic.twitter.com/J3bxv6q6L5
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 26, 2020
Barrett’s confirmation would cement a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. It would also be the quickest a Supreme Court nominee has been confirmed before a presidential election.
