Judge Amy Coney Barrett accepted President Donald Trump’s nomination to the Supreme Court Oct. 12 before the Senate Judiciary Committee and spoke about her judicial philosophy. The hearings come amid a bitter partisan battle over who should replace the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on Sept. 18. While Republicans intend to confirm a justice before the election, Democrats argue that Ginsburg’s dying wish -- that her seat not be filled until after the election -- should be honored. Barrett expressed appreciation for the female justices who paved the way before her, including Ginsburg, saying, “I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led.” In statements before the committee, Republicans pushed back on Democrats’ objection to the Barrett hearings, while Democrats focused on how the fate of the Affordable Care Act, as well as stalled negotiations for COVID-19 relief, will be affected by the process. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, noted that the “precedent is quite clear” regarding nominations made by U.S. presidents to the Supreme Court while their party holds power in the Senate -- saying that these nominees are usually confirmed. Although this wasn’t the case when Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the bench in 2016 with a Republican majority in the Senate, that is the case today, and Cruz said this was something that Democrats “do not want to confront.” Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., focused on the political consequences of Barrett’s nomination, saying that the president has made clear he wants the Supreme Court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., criticized Republicans for focusing on Supreme Court hearings while neglecting to vote on a bill to help people negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that "their priorities are not the American people’s priorities.”
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