Senate Democrats are demanding that the Judiciary Committee delay its confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett because President Trump, Sen. Mike Lee, and presumably several others have contracted the coronavirus. It is not safe to hold the hearings in person, given the risk of infection, argued Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and virtual hearings are not an adequate replacement considering the nature of the appointment.
NEW:
Supreme Court hearings should not be held until the “full extent” of virus exposure is known, Feinstein & Schumer say in statement.
“There is bipartisan agreement that a virtual confirmation hearing for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench is not an acceptable
— Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) October 2, 2020
Well, if that’s the case, let’s just forgo the hearings altogether and skip to the vote. Democrats do not want to participate in an in-person hearing, even though it is entirely possible to hold it safely and responsibly. And they do not want to hold a virtual hearing, even though at least three Senate Democrats appeared remotely in May for Judge Justin Walker’s confirmation hearing for the D.C. Circuit when they thought they had been exposed to the virus.
Both of these options are available to the Senate, but Democrats would rather use this as an opportunity to delay and obstruct.
Senate Republicans should ignore them and hold the hearings virtually. Or better yet, go straight to floor debate and hold the vote. Confirmation hearings are not constitutionally mandated, nor were they held for most of this country’s history. They are a tradition but one that could be dispensed with given the circumstances. As Democrats have said, it’s just too dangerous.
