Republicans have blocked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s latest move to try and stall Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Schumer attempted to shut down the Senate until after the presidential election on Nov. 3rd. Schumer along with other Dems have described Barrett’s confirmation process “illegitimate” this close to the election.
The Minority Leader attempted to force a vote to adjourn the Senate which Republicans rejected 48-42. Republicans are expecting more Democrats to attempt these procedural roadblocks as a last-ditch effort to prevent Barrett’s confirmation.
In a report from Fox News:
But this is not the first time Schumer has essentially taken over the Senate floor as Democrats try to fight the Barrett confirmation. Earlier this month he forced a vote on a measure that would ban the Justice Department from arguing against the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as it currently plans to when a case against it comes before the Supreme Court on Nov. 10.
His “cloture” motion on that failed 51-43 — it needed 60 votes to pass — but succeeded in getting six moderate or electorally vulnerable Republican senators to back it, underscoring that some Republicans are in fact feeling the pressure of Democrats’ constant rhetoric — which may not necessarily be accurate — that Barrett is a grave threat to the ACA.
Schumer has also invoked the rarely-used “two-hour rule,” which governs when committees can meet when the Senate is in session, at one point preventing the Senate Intelligence Committee from meeting in what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called a “temper tantrum.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to report Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate on Thursday and Schumer has claimed that Democrats will not hold a quorum for the vote. This would then line up the final vote for some point next week, depending on when McConnell schedules the vote. McConnell has predicted that Barrett’s confirmation would be confirmed no later than the Tuesday before the presidential election.
