Amy Coney Barrett Starts Visits with Senators; Democrats Refuse to Meet Her
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Supreme Court nominee, is set to start meeting with senators on Capitol Hill; several Democrats refused to see her.
On Tuesday, Amy Coney Barrett is set to meet with senators on Capitol Hill as Barrett accelerated the confirmation process despite several Democrats refusing to meet her and called the process that led to her nomination close to a presidential election "illegitimate."
According to Fox News, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that he believes that the whole process has been illegitimate and because she's already stated that Barrett is for overturning the ACA, "I will not meet with her."
Schumer said if the GOP confirms Barrett, America will have stolen two Supreme Court. Senator Schumer joined Senator Maize Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, in refusing to meet with Barrett; the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge.
On Sunday, Blumenthal said, "I will oppose the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, as I would any nominee proposed as part of this illegitimate sham process, barely one month before an election as Americans are already casting their votes."
The highest-profile meetings of Amy Coney Barrett will be with Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C, and a joint sit-down with both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky and Vice President Mike Pence.
Graham, McConnell, and Thune have already declared their support for Barrett, as several other Senate Republicans are familiar with the judge from her 2017 circuit court confirmation.
Barrett will also meet with Senators: Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Mike Lee, R-Utah; Cory Gardner, R-Colo: and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.
Meeting with Gardener could be the most significant one for Barrett, as per Fox News. Gardener is a tough reelection fight. And was one of those closely watched for if he would support moving forward with the Supreme Court confirmation in less than two months prior to the presidential election before Gardener came out to support the process. However, Gardener's statements on the Supreme Court vacancy have not been commitments to a "yes" vote.
Earlier this week, Gardener said, "Should a qualified nominee ... be put forward, I will vote to confirm."
"In the days and weeks ahead, I look forward to meeting with Judge Amy Coney Barrett and thoroughly examining her judicial record as I fulfill my constitutional duty of advice and consent," Gardener added.
Republicans appear to have many strengths through confirmation that is much closer to the presidential election than any modern history. Only Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, said they oppose moving ahead with the confirmation of the new Supreme Court justice ahead of the election.
In recent days, Murkowski has softened her stance, saying that she will meet with the nominee, Barrette, as she acknowledged, "this process is moving forward with or without me."
In January 1940, the Senate last confirmed a justice amid an election year with Justice Frank Murphy. Before that, in February 1932, it confirmed Justice Benjamin Cardozo and Justice Louis Brandeis in 1916.
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