The Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to report Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett’s out of committee is moving forward, Republicans say, despite a decision from Democrats that they will boycott the Thursday markup in protest of how close Republicans are moving the nomination to Election Day.
The move follows a declaration from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., earlier this month that Democrats would not “supply the quorum” for votes like the one scheduled Thursday to advance Barrett out of committee. So it is not a total surprise, but other Democrats on the Judiciary Committee did not confirm the move until late Wednesday. They said they are making the move in response to the “breakneck speed” at which Republicans are moving to “jam through this nominee” and that Republicans broke “longstanding committee rules to set tomorrow’s vote.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., nevertheless Wednesday said that Barrett would receive a vote despite rules of the committee requiring that at least two members of the minority party be present for the committee to transact business.
“Judge Barrett deserves a vote and she will receive a vote,” Graham said. “Judge Barrett deserves to be reported out of committee and she will be reported out of committee. Judge Barrett deserves to be on the Supreme Court and she will be confirmed.”
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