Updated 7:22 a.m.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate. Republicans powered past a Democratic boycott of the session Thursday to keep confirmation of President Donald Trump’s pick on track before Election Day.
Democratic senators refused to show up in protest of the GOP’s rush to install Trump’s nominee to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The Senate has never confirmed a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. Senators plan to convene a rare weekend session for procedural actions ahead of a final confirmation vote expected Monday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he will begin the process as soon as the Senate Judiciary Committee wraps up its work Thursday.
Democrats decry the rush but don't have the votes to block. Trump’s nominee is on a glide path to confirmation. Barrett's ascent would seal a 6-3 conservative hold on the court for years to come. In the meantime, both Senate Democrats and Republicans think the Barrett confirmation battle will help them in this fall's elections.
Republicans want to use the fight to embrace issues like opposition to abortion and to stand with a religious, conservative woman they hope will appeal to female voters. But even some Republicans doubt it will change what could be a gloomy Election Day for the GOP. And Democrats are using the nomination to emphasize the court's importance for preserving abortion rights and health care coverage.
Read More: Amy Coney Barrett Moves A Step Closer To Confirmation After Judiciary Committee Vote (via NPR.org)
