No reasonable person can argue that Judge Amy Coney Barrett is not qualified for the Supreme Court. Which is why congressional Democrats have instead leveled their complaints at the confirmation process in an attempt to derail it.
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Chairman Lindsey Graham this week demanding that he postpone the committee’s vote on Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, which is scheduled for Oct. 22. The pace at which Senate Republicans are moving leaves Democrats little time to vet Barrett properly, the letter alleges.
This complaint might be valid if Democrats had not already made up their minds about Barrett anyway. They are almost unanimously opposed to her nomination, and nothing she says or does over the course of the next several weeks will change that. Indeed, the Democrats’ letter to Graham confirms that they are not worried about Barrett’s qualifications and their ability to scrutinize them, but about the conservative majority her appointment will cement.
“The timeline for consideration of Judge Barrett’s nomination is incompatible with the Senate’s constitutional role. We again urge you to delay consideration of this nomination until after the presidential inauguration,” Senate Democrats said in their letter. (Emphasis added).
If Democrats truly wanted more time to interview and vet Barrett, they would begin meeting with her now. But they have refused to meet with her at all. At least the few Senate Republicans wary of Barrett’s appointment — namely, Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — have agreed to sit down with her and treat her as they would any other nominee.
Democrats, on the other hand, are not interested in fair treatment, which is why the Senate should move on without them. Start the confirmation process now. Republicans have the votes, and Barrett has already proved in past confirmation hearings that she is an excellent pick for the bench. Waiting any longer will give Democrats an opportunity to distract, obstruct, and delay the process. They’re already trying to do just that.
