US Senate likely to confirm Barrett for Supreme Court seat despite Democrats' opposition

Amy Coney Barrett is likely to be confirmed as a US Supreme Court Justice on Monday, October 26 (local time) just a week before the presidential elections if the Republican-controlled Senate approves her nomination. She will replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg as the ninth justice at the US Supreme Court.

Barrett was nominated by US President Donald Trump earlier last month at the White House and would become his third pick for the nation's apex court.

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Barrett confirmation likely

Meanwhile, Democratic Senators have asked US Vice President Mike Pence not to attend the House proceedings following news of his close contact with his COVID-19 positive aides.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer stated that Pence's presence at the Senate proceedings would be a violation of CDC guidelines and also "a violation of common decency and courtesy." While Pence is needed in the case there is a tie during the Barrett confirmation vote. However, since the Republicans control the US Senate, Barrett’s confirmation is not in doubt.

Read: US Senate Votes To Advance Barrett; Confirmation Expected Monday

If confirmed, Barrett would cement a conservative majority in the US Supreme Court for a generation and this could result in a new era of rulings on contentious topics like abortion and gay marriage. The Obama era healthcare act is also due to be heard in the US Supreme court on November 10.

As per reports, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell responded to critics expressing concerns over Barrett’s rushed confirmation and said, "This is something to be really proud of and feel good about." Meanwhile, Schumer has claimed that Republicans have ignored the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in order to rush Barrett to the Supreme Court.

Earlier on October 23, a Republican-led panel at the US Senate Judiciary Committee hearing managed to disregard a democratic boycott and push through an order to advance Barrett's Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate. All 12 Republican lawmakers on the panel voted in favour of Trump’s choice for the Supreme Court judge while the Democrats were absent and had placed posters on their empty chairs showing the people that had greatly benefitted from the Affordable Cares Act which is currently being reviewed in the courts.

(With AP inputs, Image AP)

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