Democrats to boycott committee vote on Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will boycott Thursday's committee vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination.
The plan comes as the 10 Democratic senators on the panel have been discussing how to protest the GOP plan to confirm Barrett next week to the seat held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and the Democrats on the committee said in a joint statement that the push to confirm Barrett was a "sham process" and accused Republicans of breaking "the promises and rules" established by refusing to give Merrick Garland, former President Obama's final Supreme Court nominee, a hearing or a vote.
"Fearing a loss at the ballot box, Republicans are showing that they do not care about the rules or what the American people want, but are concerned only with raw political power," they said.
"We will not grant this process any further legitimacy by participating in a committee markup of this nomination just twelve days before the culmination of an election that is already underway," they added.
Democrats, instead, are expected to hold two press conferences on Thursday.
Under Judiciary Committee rules, 12 members have to be present in order to report a nomination to the floor — a requirement Republicans can meet on their own if every GOP senator is present.
But the rules also require two members of the minority party to be present in order to transact business.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/522153-democrats-to-boycott-committee-vote-on-amy-coney-barretts-supreme-court