Thumbnail credit: Patrick Semansky/AP
Washington, D.C. – The Supreme Court hearings for Amy Coney Barrett were four days of questions with very few answers from the prospective ninth justice. Describing them as “hypothetical,” Coney Barrett danced around the topics of Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges. She also said she will not have a “personal agenda,” and that she will judge cases on an individual basis. Though Coney Barrett was vague during her hearings, it is likely she will be confirmed to the Court before the November election. Mitch McConnell, majority leader, vows to have a vote in the Senate on October 22.
Senate Democrats did not, however, roll on their backs and play dead. On Thursday last week, several Democrats attempted to call for a quorum to block the vote, which effectively would have been a protest of the vote. However, if all 12 Republicans showed up, the vote would move forward. Additionally, several Democratic senators called for permanently halting Coney Barrett’s nomination but the motion was defeated 12-10.
“Nothing about this confirmation process is unconstitutional, but Senate Republicans are engaging in an overt assertion of partisan power that Senate leaders usually try to avoid,” Associate Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Political Science Department at Luther College Carly Foster said to the Current Affairs Times.
“Confirmation processes for Supreme Court Justices are always political in nature, but usually Senate majority leadership at least tries to maintain an appearance of solemnity, dignity, and fairness during the confirmation process,” Foster added.
The final hearing in the Senate is likely to happen the week of October 26-Nov. 3, literally days before the election. All that’s needed to confirm Coney Barrett in the full Senate vote is a simple majority, which is likely to be the slimmest in history, with 51 or 52 Republicans predicted to vote in her favor.
Thumbnail credit: Patrick Semansky/AP
Lead developer and editor; legal/political reporter for the Current Affairs Times. World traveler. Mac 'n' cheese lover.
