Senate Judiciary Democrats, facing criticism from the left that they have not done more to question the legitimacy of the Supreme Court confirmation proceedings for Amy Coney Barrett, plan to take the extraordinary step of boycotting a key committee vote on Thursday.
Democrats say they plan to fill the seats Thursday with pictures of people impacted by the Affordable Care Act, part of the Democratic strategy for tying Barrett’s nomination to a threat posed to President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, which is scheduled to be before the Supreme Court the week after Election Day. «This has been a sham process from the beginning,» said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Democrats in a statement released Wednesday. «We will not grant this process any further legitimacy by participating in a committee markup of this nomination just twelve days before the culmination of an election that is already underway.» Asked if the Democratic boycott is simply just a stunt, Schumer told CNN: «We’re not giving a quorum they need to provide. The rules require it.» Under Senate Judiciary Committee rules, nine members of the panel, including two members of the minority party, must be present «for the purpose of transacting business.» But Republicans say Senate rule 26 supersedes the Judiciary Committee requirements.
