The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to wrap later today its third and last day of questioning of U.S. Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. During the hearing earlier this morning, the committee agreed to officially vote on her nomination next Thursday, October 22, at 1 PM ET.
Category: Administration
So It Begins
After much back and forth between the two parties and between Senate Democrats and the White House for the past several weeks, the confirmation process for the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court kicks off today with the first day of her confirmation hearing, which is scheduled to last four days. The rest of Congress is currently in recess. Two of the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, which is holding the hearing, have tested for COVID-19. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, is also a member of the committee.
Read more about the confirmation hearing and the process here and here.
Trump Ends Talks on Next Pandemic Relief Bill… For Now
After coming home from the hospital last evening, President Trump this afternoon ended negotiations on the next COVID-19 relief package, claiming that Democrats were not negotiating in good faith. He stated that he will restart the talks after the election.
Senate Schedule Scrambled
With a flood of COVID-19-related developments unfolding over the weekend in our nation’s capital, the Senate schedule has been scrambled for at least the next several weeks.
As at least three GOP Senators have tested positive for the illness– Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Mike Lee of Utah, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin– and a number of others are in quarantine as a result of exposure to them, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that Senate floor activities would be postponed at least until the week of October 19. However, he added that the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett would take place as scheduled the week of October 12. Both Tillis and Lee are members of the Judiciary, which will consider the nomination.
Even if the hearings can take place next week– most likely virtually for several Senators– it remains to be seen when votes on the nomination might actually take place in the committee and on the floor, as a quorum must be present for votes to take place. Democrats have argued that it makes no sense to proceed while the floor proceedings are halted.
CR Signed, Government Still Open
After returning from a campaign rally late last night, President Trump signed a continuing resolution (CR) that will keep the government funded through December 11. FY2021 officially started at midnight this morning and none of the 12 individual spending bills have been signed into law. In theory, the extension until December 11 gives Congress and the White House extra time to reach agreement on the appropriations bills. The Senate cleared the CR earlier in the day yesterday by a vote of 84 to 10.
There was a bit of drama last night as the President technically missed the midnight deadline to sign the resolution, which was not officially signed until about 1 AM. However, given that he was going to sign the measure, federal agencies were not making preparations to shutdown.