WASHINGTON—Amid a Democratic boycott, Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday. The full Senate vote is expected on Monday.
Senate Judiciary Democrats boycotted the vote on Thursday morning, a decision that was announced on Wednesday in a statement that read in part, “Throughout the hearings last week, committee Democrats demonstrated the damage a Justice Barrett would do – to health care, reproductive freedoms, the ability to vote, and other core rights that Americans cherish.”
The advance comes after Barrett sat through nearly 20 hours of questioning by 22 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee during two days of questions last week.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called out Democrats for the boycott and expressed concern over what he deemed their “radical views” surrounding freedom of religion and speech.
“The Democrats are unwilling to defend their radical agenda for the Supreme Court. That’s illustrated powerfully today by the fact that every Democratic Chair is empty, that they are boycotting this markup,” Cruz said. “They’re boycotting this markup because their substantive arguments are not persuasive.”
Chairman Graham, R-S.C., echoed Cruz, saying, “I’m hoping that this election people will listen to what Senator Cruz just said. We are one vote away from fundamentally changing the Second Amendment” and “changing how free speech works in this country.”
Graham called on both Republicans and Democrats to give Barrett a chance based on her qualifications, not based along party lines.
“The Judiciary Committee got it right when it came to Judge Barrett,” Graham said. “It would have been wrong to deny her a vote. In my opinion, if you’re a Republican, it would have been crazy not to vote for her. As a Democrat, you may not agree with her judicial philosophy, which is a rejection of judicial activism and an originalist view of how you approach case and controversies, but you should’ve seen in her what I saw in Sotomayor and Kagan: qualifications. You’ve abandoned that.”
After thanking Democrats for participating in the Q&A, Graham turned to scolding them, saying, “You should be here to vote. She deserves a vote: yes or no.”
Graham closed by framing it as a “breakthrough moment” and endorsing Barrett.
“This will be a historic moment. It’s historic for young, conservative women knowing that there’s a place at the table for you. It’s a historic moment for the Court, to have someone like Judge Barrett on the Court who openly embraces their faith and has lived a consequential life,” Graham said.