Democrats, especially those on the Senate Judiciary Committee, are operating on the crazy notion that it is not sheltered to hold in-person confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett due to the Wuhan coronavirus. According to most of the employees in the case of the Committee, “the hearing will be held in accordance with the regulations of the Office of the Walking Physician and the Rules of the Senate.”
Despite taking precautions such as social distancing and the ability to test for the virus, as well as the option to participate virtually, Senate Democrats still want Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to postpone the hearing until after the election.
Senate Democrats Patrick Leahy, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris question the chairman @LindseyGrahamSC to establish a “clear testing system” for Covid-19 before the Supreme Court hearing, citing infected senators. pic.twitter.com/KsIN2CFogs
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 9, 2020
I joined yesterday @SenFeinstein and Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, calling on Chairman Graham to delay upcoming Supreme Court confirmation hearings. Continuing to do so jeopardizes the health and safety of everyone involved. There is no doubt that we cannot move forward.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) October 5, 2020
There are senators with Covid-19 on the Judiciary Committee.
Rushing a SCOTUS nominee hearing is reckless and threatening to public health because GOP leaders.
They postponed votes and other Senate hearings – this hearing should be no exception. https://t.co/v15ZfGiM74
— Senator Cory Booker (@SenBooker) October 6, 2020
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) attended most of the hearings in person and plans to do so in an effort to secure confirmation from Judge Amy Coney Barrett, although he opposes it.
Coons, who tested negative twice after attending the Ohio presidential debate, plans to attend the confirmation hearings in person: “I’m probably going to test again tomorrow, maybe Friday, just to make sure before I go back to Washington.” “I have a recent test.”
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 7, 2020
Coons: “I have no reason to believe that I have been exposed, but it is important, urgent to keep staffers and senators safe at next week’s hearing and this is one of many reasons why we should definitely do it even if we don’t.”
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 7, 2020
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) stated that the hearing should be suspended because multiple senators tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. However, Klobuchar was the very person who helped implement these virtual hearings so that cases could continue without the risk of exposure.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) on why the Senate must postpone Amy Coney Barrett’s vote: “We don’t know how many other Republican senators have had this… I don’t know why you would go through a Supreme Court hearing and put people in danger…” pic.twitter.com/1CcZRDkHW2
— Story (@therecount) October 4, 2020
If Democrats were so concerned about WuFlu, why did many of them – including ranking member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – attend most of the hearings in person? If Democrats opposed virtual hearings, why did so many, like Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), participate in them over the past few months?
Here’s who showed up for the auditions. Democrats who attended in person are in bold.
May 6: Full Committee Hearing regarding the nomination of Justin Walker to be United States District Judge for the District of Columbia
- In person: Graham, Feinstein in DurbinHorns, Lee, Cruz, Hawley, Coons, Blumenthal, Ernst, Kennedy, Booker, Paul
- Virtual: Leahy, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Tillis, Hirono, Blackburn
May 12: Full committee Hearing on legal liability during the modern coronavirus
- In person: Graham, FeinsteinGrasley, Durbin, Lee, Hawley, Cruz, Coons, Blumenthal
- Virtual: Leahy, Tillis, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Hirono, Harris, Witness
May 20: Full Committee Hearing on the nomination of Cory Wilson to be U.S. District Judge for the Fifth Circuit
- In person: Graham, FeinsteinGrasley, DurbinLee, Cruz, ShedsHawley, Ernst, BlumenthalKennedy, Wicker, Hyde-Smith
- Virtual: Whitehouse, Blackburn, Booker, Hirono
June 2: Full committee Hearing on examining best practices for imprisonment and detention during the Covid-19 pandemic
- Personally: Graham, Feinstein, Durbin, Coons, Blumenthal, Grassley, Hawley, Cruz, Booker, Harris, Leeward
- Virtual: Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Tillis, Hirono, multiple witnesses
June 2: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Hearing on Does the DMCA Notice and Takedown System Work in the 21st Century?
- Personally: Tillis, Coons, Blumenthal
- Virtual: multiple witnesses
June 3: Full committee Hearing on oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grasley, Leahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Leeward, White House, Cruz, Klobuchar, Hawley, raccoons, Tillis, Blumenthal, Seriously, damn Booker, Kennedy, Blackburn
- Virtual: Hirono
June 9: Full committee Hearing on COVID-19 fraud: law enforcement’s response to those taking advantage of the pandemic
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grasley, Durbin, Tillis, White House, Hawley, Blumenthal
- Virtual: Klobuchar, Blackburn, Hirono, Booker
June 16: Full Committee Hearing on police exploit of force and social relations
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Booker, Harris, Klobuchar, Grasley, Leahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Leeward, White House, Hawley, Hirono, Cruz,Tillis, Blumenthal, Ernst, Crapo, Kennedy
- Virtual: Multiple Witnesses, Blackburn
June 17: Full Committee Hearing regarding judicial nominations
- In person: Blackburn, Feinstein, Johnson, Kennedy, Blumenthal, Hawley
- Virtual: Toomey, Casey, multiple nominees, Tillis
June 23: Full Committee Hearing ON Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, coronavirus, and addressing China’s culpability
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grasley, raccoons, Cornyn, White House, Leeward, Blumenthal, Cruz, Booker, Ernst
- Virtual: Witness, Hirono, Hawley, Blackburn
June 24: Full Committee Hearing regarding judicial nominations
- Personally: Kaine, Durbin, Kennedy, Hawley, Blumenthal
- Virtual: multiple nominees, Hirono
June 30: Judicial Conference Recommendation in order to obtain more judges
- Personally: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, raccoons, Crapo, Hawley, Blumenthal in the White House
- Virtual: Multiple Witnesses, Hirono, Booker
July 22: Full Committee Security integrity of collegiate athletics
- In person: Graham, Blumenthal, Booker, Sasse, Lee, Hawley
- Virtual: multiple witnesses
July 28: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Hearing How does the DMCA address limitations and exceptions such as fair exploit?
- Personally: Tillis, Sheds
- Virtual: multiple witnesses
July 29: Full Committee Hearing regarding judicial nominations
- Personally: Sasse, Feinstein, Roberts, Blumenthal, Hawley
- Virtual: multiple nominees, Portman, Brown, Hirono, Blackburn
August 4: Subcommittee on Constitution Hearing on the right of people peaceably to assemble: protecting speech by stopping anarchist violence
- Personally: Cruz, Hiron, Merkley, Graham, Durbin, Leeward, Whitehouse, Coons, Blumenthal
- Virtual: Wyden, Blackburn, multiple witnesses
August 5: Full Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 2
- In person: Graham, FeinsteinGrasleyLeahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Leeward, White House, Hawley, Tillis, raccoons, Kennedy, Blumenthal, Cruz
- Virtual: Witness, Klobuchar, Hirono, Blackburn, Booker
September 9: Full Committee Hearing regarding judicial nominations
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Lee, Blumenthal, Cruz, Durbin, Hawley
- Virtual: multiple nominees, Cassidy, Hirono
September 15: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Hearing on Stacking the Tech: Has Google Harmed Competition in Online Advertising?
- Personally: Lee, Klobuchar, Hawley, Blumenthal, Cruz
- Virtual: Witness, Blackburn
September 16: Intellectual Property Blocking Subcommittee Hearing on Are Section 1201 Reforms Necessary and Justified?
- Personally: Tillis, Coons, Blumenthal
- Virtual: multiple witnesses
September 30: Full Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 3
- In person: Graham, Feinstein, Cornyn, Durbin, Leeward, White House, Cruz, Klobuchar, Sasse, raccoons, Hawley, Blumenthal, Tillis, Hirono, Ernst, BookerKennedy, Blackburn
- Virtual: Witness, Leahy
What’s going on, Democrats? Are in-person hearings a terrifying the idea is generally accepted and only virtual hearings should take place during the coronavirus pandemic? Or are in-person hearings the only way to do business and everything should stop?
You can’t have it both ways.
