How to watch Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation hearings
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear opening statements regarding Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, kicking off several days of testimony by President Trump's pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barrett, who would be the third justice on the court named by Mr. Trump, will deliver an opening statement before the committee on Monday, and face questioning from senators on Tuesday and Wednesday. Republicans hope to approve her nomination out of the Judiciary Committee on October 22, setting up a vote by the full Senate shortly before Election Day.
On Monday, committee members will deliver opening statements, with each senator given 10 minutes, alternating between parties. Barrett will then be introduced by Senators Todd Young and Michael Braun, the two Republican senators from her home state of Indiana, as well as Professor Patricia O'Hara of Notre Dame Law School, where Barrett taught before becoming a federal judge in 2017. After introductions, Barrett will be sworn in and deliver her own statement.
How to watch the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings
- What: Senate Judiciary hearings on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court
- Date: Monday, October 12 to Thursday, October 15
- Time: 9 a.m. ET
- CBSN coverage: Preshow coverage begins at 8:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Capitol Hill
- Online stream: Live on CBSN — in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
- TV: On Monday, CBS News will begin broadcasting on the CBS Television Network at 9 a.m.
- Follow: Live updates on CBSNews.com
Over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be two rounds of questioning in which each senator will have the chance to ask questions. Senators will have 30 minutes each to question Barrett in the first round, with a second round lasting 20 minutes per senator. On Thursday, outside witness will testify either to support or oppose her nomination.
Barrett released her opening statement on Sunday. She will say that in every case she has ruled on in her three years as a federal judge, she has "done my utmost to reach the result required by the law, whatever my own preferences might be."
"When I write an opinion resolving a case, I read every word from the perspective of the losing party," Barrett will say. "I ask myself how would I view the decision if one of my children was the party I was ruling against: Even though I would not like the result, would I understand that the decision was fairly reasoned and grounded in the law? That is the standard I set for myself in every case, and it is the standard I will follow as long as I am a judge on any court."
Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday that a questionnaire that Barrett completed as part of the committee's nomination process was still missing materials, even after she filed a supplemental questionnaire with additional information on Friday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated on Sunday that Democrats will "not supply the quorum" needed for the vote in the committee and the full Senate, hoping to delay the proceedings and force Republicans to delay a vote until after the election. But he said Democrats on the committee will attend the hearings, either in person or virtually.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris, who is on the Judiciary Committee, will participate in the hearings remotely, her office said Sunday. Harris' office accused Senate Republicans of refusing to "take commonsense steps to protect members, aides, Capitol complex workers, and members of the media" from the coronavirus.
Two Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee, Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, said on October 2 they had tested positive for COVID-19. They say they have followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines to isolate for 10 days after first testing positive. A third senator, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, has also tested positive.
Both Tillis and Lee were at the September 26 ceremony at the White House when Mr. Trump announced Barrett's nomination. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert, called that ceremony a "super spreader" event, since at least 12 people, including Mr. Trump, who were there have since tested positive. There are currently at least 25 cases of COVID-19, including Mr. Trump, that are linked to the White House.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said on Friday that testing all the members of the committee before the hearings would be unreasonable. "I'm not going to live my life differently than you have to live yours," Graham said.
Graham, who is up for reelection in South Carolina, refused to take a COVID-19 test before a recent debate against Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison. Harrison refused to participate, and so the candidates answered questions separately.
