WASHINGTON, D.C., October 22, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, leaving only one hurdle to go next week.
Every Republican on the committee voted for Barrett, President Donald Trump’s selection to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, while every committee Democrat boycotted the vote, CNBC reports.
Widely regarded as a pro-life originalist, Barrett was a member of Notre Dame’s Faculty for Life group, is reported to have signed another letter published by Becket Law criticizing the Obama administration’s contraception mandate, and signed a 2006 ad declaring “we…oppose abortion on demand and support the right to life from fertilization to natural death.” She has also written multiple articles critical of the stare decisis doctrine, which grants weight to past rulings’ status as precedent, regardless of whether they were rightly decided.
“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,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared before the vote.
In their chairs, Democrats left posters of Americans they claim would be harmed by the invalidation of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the constitutionality of which is at issue in a case the Supreme Court will hear on November 10.
“We are not going to allow them to take over the committee,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chairman of the Judiciary Committee. “They made a choice not to participate.”
“This is a great day. Our team has worked tirelessly throughout this election cycle to meet people where they are so that we can advocate for a society in which the lives of human beings are protected from conception to natural death,” Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins said. “Today’s vote in the Judiciary Committee is a great reminder of why millions of Americans vote pro-life first.”
“Today’s vote is an historic milestone for the pro-life movement, especially pro-life women, as Amy Barrett advances one step closer toward a seat on the nation’s highest court,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List. “In last week’s hearings, Judge Barrett’s formidable intellect and principled constitutionalist philosophy shone throughout hours of questioning. In the face of pro-abortion Democrats’ fearmongering and their media allies’ attacks on her Catholic faith, she showed grace and dignity. There is no question Barrett is exceptionally qualified to serve on the Supreme Court.”
The final vote by the full Senate is currently slated for Monday, October 26, though many Republicans expect Democrats to attempt some sort of last-minute maneuver to derail the vote. The GOP believed to have enough votes to confirm Barrett, even if up to three liberal Republicans defect and oppose her.