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Amy Coney Barrett supreme court nomination hearings begin in Washington – live Amy Coney Barrett supreme court nomination hearings begin in Washington – live
(32 minutes later)
Barrett to deliver opening statement on first of four days of hearings before Senate judiciary committeeBarrett to deliver opening statement on first of four days of hearings before Senate judiciary committee
Members of the Senate judiciary committee continue to deliver their opening statements for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings.
The blog will be watching the hearing while keeping an eye on the other pressing issues of the day because Barrett is not expected to speak until later this afternoon.
Over on the House side of the Capitol, majority leader Steny Hoyer said no votes were expected this week on a coronavirus relief package, as negotiations continue between speaker Nancy Pelosi and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin.
Patrick Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, focused his opening statement on denouncing Republicans’ flip-flop on holding supreme court hearings in election years.
When Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell refused to even consider Barack Obama’s nominee to fill the supreme court seat.
Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, used his opening statement to preemptively rebut these arguments from Democrats.
The Republican chairman noted that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month, previously said president serves for four years, not three.
But Graham did not mention that Ginsburg also gave a statement to her family shortly before her death expressing her wish for the president to wait to fill her seat until after next month’s election.
Chuck Grassley, the former Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, is now delivering his opening statement, applauding Amy Coney Barrett’s professional achievements.
Every member of the Senate judiciary committee will be given the chance to deliver an opening statement before Barrett delivers hers.
Considering there are 22 members on the committee, Barrett will not speak until later this afternoon.
Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, focused her opening statement on her concerns that Amy Coney Barrett would vote to scrap the Affordable Care Act.Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, focused her opening statement on her concerns that Amy Coney Barrett would vote to scrap the Affordable Care Act.
The California Democrat noted the supreme court will be holding oral arguments on a case involving the ACA one week after the November 3 elections.The California Democrat noted the supreme court will be holding oral arguments on a case involving the ACA one week after the November 3 elections.
Feinstein pointed to past writings from Barrett criticizing supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts for voting to uphold the law in 2012.Feinstein pointed to past writings from Barrett criticizing supreme court Chief Justice John Roberts for voting to uphold the law in 2012.
Democrats on the committee are expected to hammer this theme of the ACA being in jeopardy for the rest of the week.Democrats on the committee are expected to hammer this theme of the ACA being in jeopardy for the rest of the week.
Meanwhile, senator Kamala Harris has arrived on Capitol Hill, where she will participate in Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings virtually from her office.Meanwhile, senator Kamala Harris has arrived on Capitol Hill, where she will participate in Amy Coney Barrett’s hearings virtually from her office.
The Democratic vice-presidential nominee said her opening statement today would be focused on “establishing the context of this hearing.”The Democratic vice-presidential nominee said her opening statement today would be focused on “establishing the context of this hearing.”
As a member of the Senate judiciary committee, Harris has become well-known for her tough questioning of Trump’s nominees, including supreme court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.As a member of the Senate judiciary committee, Harris has become well-known for her tough questioning of Trump’s nominees, including supreme court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
Lindsey Graham closed his opening comments by predicting this would be “a long, contentious week.”Lindsey Graham closed his opening comments by predicting this would be “a long, contentious week.”
The Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee asked members of the panel to keep the hearings “respectful” and “challenging.”The Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee asked members of the panel to keep the hearings “respectful” and “challenging.”
“Remember, the world is watching,” Graham said.“Remember, the world is watching,” Graham said.
Lindsey Graham acknowledged the nomination hearings were unlikely to change the minds of anyone on the Senate judiciary committee.Lindsey Graham acknowledged the nomination hearings were unlikely to change the minds of anyone on the Senate judiciary committee.
“This is probably not about persuading each other unless something really dramatic happens,” the Republican chairman of the committee said.“This is probably not about persuading each other unless something really dramatic happens,” the Republican chairman of the committee said.
Graham said he expected all Republicans to support Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination and all Democrats to oppose it.Graham said he expected all Republicans to support Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination and all Democrats to oppose it.
Lindsey Graham justified the timing of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings, even though they come about three weeks before a presidential election.Lindsey Graham justified the timing of Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation hearings, even though they come about three weeks before a presidential election.
The Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee said it was fair to confirm Barrett when both the White House and the Senate were controlled by Republicans.The Republican chairman of the Senate judiciary committee said it was fair to confirm Barrett when both the White House and the Senate were controlled by Republicans.
No supreme court nominee has ever been confirmed between July and November of a presidential election year.No supreme court nominee has ever been confirmed between July and November of a presidential election year.
Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, laid out the schedule for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings.Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, laid out the schedule for Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination hearings.
Today will be dedicated to opening statements from Barrett and the members of the committee, followed by two days of questioning.Today will be dedicated to opening statements from Barrett and the members of the committee, followed by two days of questioning.
Graham said the panel would likely vote on her nomination on October 27, followed by a full Senate vote on October 27 -- one week before the elections.Graham said the panel would likely vote on her nomination on October 27, followed by a full Senate vote on October 27 -- one week before the elections.
Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has taken her seat in the Senate hearing room. The nomination hearings are now underway.Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has taken her seat in the Senate hearing room. The nomination hearings are now underway.
Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett and her family arrived on Capitol Hill for the Senate hearings moments ago.
This is Joan Greve in Washington, taking over for Martin Belam.
We are moments away from the start of the nomination hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, who could become the sixth conservative justice on the supreme court.
Barrett and members of the Senate judiciary committee are expected to deliver their opening statements this morning.
In a surprising turn, Republican senator Mike Lee, who tested positive for coronavirus 10 days ago, said he would be attending the hearings in person.
Back to the Amy Coney Barrett Senate hearings, which will be beginning very soon. Republicans have been moving swiftly to get her confirmed before the election, in order to try and pack the court with a 6-3 conservative majority ahead of any dispute that arises after the results of the 3 November vote.
Zalman Rothschild writes for us this morning on how he surveyed 74 court rulings on religious freedom and Covid lockdowns in the US in recent months, and was staggered by the partisan divide. His conclusion: Judges’ politics absolutely sway how they decide cases
Read more here: Zalman Rothschild – Judges’ politics absolutely sway how they decide cases. I crunched the numbers
I’m not entirely sure that I ever thought in my lifetime it would be my job to bring you the news that the president of the United States has announced that the state of California is going to hell, but here we all are…
New York, apparently, has already got there.
To add to the general mire of confusion of disinformation that the US president Donald Trump has been spreading about mail-in ballots, it emerges that the California Republican party has been installing unofficial ballot drop-off boxes. State officials say they’re illegal. Katie Shepherd writes for the Washington Post:
For their part, Republicans have defended the practice, saying it is only a form of “ballot harvesting.”
In some states, ballot harvesting rules allow campaign volunteers to collect ballots door-to-door and return them to be counted on behalf of voters, and a law was passed permitting it by Democrats in 2016. The Republicans have defended the drop-off boxes on Twitter.
Read more here: Washington Post – California GOP installed unofficial ballot drop-off boxes. State officials say they’re illegal
Kenya Evelyn reports for us in Jacksonville, Florida:
With one in 1,000 Black Americans having died of the coronavirus, progressives such as Angie Nixon are rallying voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Running uncontested, she’s the next state representative for Florida’s 14th congressional district representing Jacksonville and its outer suburbs.
“I think it’s really important that we work on legislation that addresses systemic racism and that is not just Band-Aids,” she said. “I’m pregnant. Yes, I have a degree. I have a good-paying job and I have healthcare, but I’m still concerned that if I go into the hospital, will I be listened to?”
As cases surged in Jacksonville, Nixon’s canvassing evolved into community wellness checks. Shortly after, she contracted the virus while pregnant before transmitting it to her mother. She said her “most mentally taxing experience” is a wake-up call for Democrats to get aggressive in facing the issues affecting their most loyal voting bloc.
“I don’t want [my daughters] to continue to fight for the same things that my mom and my grandmother had to fight for,” she said. “We’ve been the ones that have been turning out for the longest and we are going to lead this movement,” she said.
Nixon is part of a record number of Black women and women of color to run for office across the country. While she called on more to claim their political power and demand “a seat at the table”, she acknowledged that not all Black voters move left.
Read Kenya Evelyn’s report in full here: ‘We’re going to lead this’: a call for Black women in Florida to claim their political power
As well as tweeting about Portland and coronavirus, the president has repeated his claim that the 2020 US election is being rigged against him. The legal wrangling over Republican attempts at voter suppression meanwhile continues in the courts.
In Minnesota, Associated Press report, a federal judge has upheld a state court agreement that extends the states’s deadline for counting absentee ballots by seven days.
Republicans had asked US District Judge Nancy Brasel to block the seven-day extension that Democratic Secretary of State Steve Simon agreed to after a citizens’ rights group cited concerns about voter safety due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But Brasel ruled late Sunday that the plaintiffs in the case – a pair of Republicans serving as electors in the presidential election – don’t have standing and denied their motion for a preliminary injunction.
Previously, ballots had to be received by 8pm on election day but a consent decree allowed ballots postmarked on or before election day to be counted if they were received within the following seven days.
Brasel’s decision to keep the extension intact comes just days after a federal appeals court blocked a similar extension in Wisconsin in a win for Republicans who have fought attempts to expand voting across the country.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, a federal judge on Sunday expressed serious concerns about the state’s new election system, but declined to order the state to abandon its touchscreen voting machines in favor of hand-marked paper ballots for the November election.
The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by voting integrity activists that challenges the election system the state bought last year from Dominion Voting Systems for more than $100 million. The activists argued that the system places an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote because voters cannot be confident their vote is accurately counted.
One of the unknowns of this election, which is taking place with unprecedented levels of mail in and absentee ballots during a global pandemic, is just when we might find out the result. It is sure to be disputed, whatever happens, but Zach Montellaro and David Siders think the picture could be clearer than anticipated on the night. They write for Politico:
They go on to outline several scenarios where Biden could be confident he had bagged 270 electoral college votes on the night – nearly all of which rely on him winning Florida.
Biden visits Ohio to campaign later today.
Read more here: Politico – How Biden could end 2020 on election night — and why Trump’s path is unlikely
President Donald Trump has tweeted about the rising numbers of coronavirus cases being reported in Europe, promising that “it will run its course” if the US is strong and vigilant.
Yesterday the US recorded 44,614 new coronavirus cases and 398 new Covid deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. Here are the latest figures showing the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in the US.
Erwin Chemerinsky writes for the Los Angeles Times this morning on “How the Senate should question Amy Coney Barrett to show the threat she poses”
Read more here: Los Angeles Times – How the Senate should question Amy Coney Barrett to show the threat she poses