Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, brushing aside Democratic concerns over the expedited timeframe for confirming Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, moved on Friday to cut off debate and set up a final confirmation vote eight days before the election.
But Republicans, arguing the situation is different now with the GOP in control of both the White House and the Senate, have rallied behind Barrett in their push to shift the court further to the right, believing the race to confirm her will pay huge dividends with their core voters as they battle to protect their imperiled Senate majority in the elections just days from now. Unable to stop the nomination, Democrats resorted to theatrical tactics instead to spotlight their anger. Democratic senators forced a rare closed session so members could privately discuss their concerns about the process. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he wanted the closed session in order to have a « candid conversation » about the push to confirm the nomination. The New York Democrat argued that while the Republican majority « may have the power to confirm this nomination before the election » that « does not make it right. » « I believe the Senate majority is on the precipice of making a colossal and historic mistake by rushing this nomination through the Senate only eight days before a national election, » Schumer said in a floor speech before making the motion to employ the extraordinary move. Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, the presiding officer, ordered all galleries cleared, including where reporters were seated. But Republicans had no desire to engage in a closed discussion with their Democratic adversaries, and they voted to reopen the chamber’s doors just minutes later as the two sides reengaged in public bickering and procedural jostling. « It’s crazy, » said GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida after leaving the briefly shuttered chamber. « You have 100 people locked in a poorly ventilated room.
