Washington Top Senate Republicans on Saturday applauded President Donald Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to become the next Supreme Court justice and called for a quick confirmation vote.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Barrett “exceedingly well-qualified” and an “exceptionally impressive jurist” in a statement and reiterated his vow for the Senate to hold a vote on the nomination, saying it will take place “in the weeks ahead.”
The likely confirmation hearing schedule in the Judiciary Committee is already being circulated to members of the Senate, according to three people familiar with the process, and would tee up a Senate floor vote shortly before Election Day. The hearing would begin October 12, with questioning on the next two days, and a closed session on October 15 with outside witnesses.
Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, a member of Senate Republican leadership, said in a statement that the Senate “will give Judge Barrett full and fair consideration, and a timely vote on the Senate floor.”
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican facing a competitive reelection, praised Trump’s selection, calling Barrett “highly qualified in all the areas that matter” in a statement and saying that he is “committed to ensuring that the nominee gets a challenging, fair, and respectful hearing.”
Senate Republicans, who have the majority in the chamber, had already signaled plans to quickly move to take up the nomination even before Trump nominated Barrett.
The announcement by the President formally kicks off a contentious and high-stakes battle to fill the vacancy left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg that will play out in a bitterly-divided Senate.
The push to confirm a Supreme Court justice ahead of the election would put the Senate on track for one of the quickest confirmations in modern history. No Supreme Court nominee has ever been confirmed after the month of July during a presidential election year.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
