WASHINGTON – A coronavirus outbreak that infected President Trump and spread to the Senate on Friday threw a new element of uncertainty into the political battle to establish Supreme Court Judge Amy Connie Barrett ahead of election day, as Republicans pressed ahead and
In the remaining four weeks of the election, pulling a complex confirmation touching all three branches of government always promised a difficult task for Republicans in the midst of an epidemic. But by Friday afternoon, with the White House and Congress in turmoil, and Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee announcing that they had tested positive for the virus, it was clear that the challenge had intensified.
Top Republicans have insisted that they accept Judge Barrett’s nomination. She will proceed at an unusually fast pace to hold a hearing by 12, send her nomination to the full Senate by October 22, and confirm it as soon as October 26, eight days before election day. – Even if it means breaking Senate norms and considering a lifetime judicial nomination by video conference. But the recent outbreak has also raised the possibility that Republicans could lose their fragile majority on the Justice Committee or on the Senate floor.
And he gave it to Democrats, who were already objecting to the pressure to establish a new justice so close to Mr. Trump’s election, a new reason for the delay. Seeing the possible opening, top Democrats called on the Senate to pause and assess the scope for the eruption. They declared that a completely virtual hearing would be unacceptable to a candidate for lifelong appointment in the country’s Supreme Court.
New York Minority Leader, and Diane, “New York Senators Chuck Schumer, and Diane have stated that” Chairman Graham has put the health of senators, nominees and staff first, and ensured a full and fair hearing. “Otherwise, this already illegal process would become a risk,” Feinstein of California, a top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, said in a joint statement.
But Senator Lindsay Graham, a South Carolina Republican and chair of the panel, vowed to stick to her schedule, and Kentucky Republican and Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell said he intends to move the nomination as soon as the committee approves. That.
“Just finished a great phone with 2 pots,” Mr. McConnell said Wrote on Twitter On friday. “He’s in good spirits and we talked about the business – especially how impressed senators are by Judge Barrett’s qualifications. Justice, the court and the country deserve what it deserves with a fair, thorough, timely process.”
Republican officials said they have no doubt the senator will find a way to build muscle by nominating Democrats over the protests. But Republicans can’t afford many illnesses that could give Democrats a chance to stop the action. Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Markowski of Alaska, have objected to moving ahead just before the election, reducing the wiggle room to a 53-47 Republican majority.
Mr. McConnell insisted during the epidemic that the Senate continues to meet in person, but he acknowledged Friday that keeping Republican senators healthy was crucial to the fate of the nomination.
“I think everyone needs to be careful, because we don’t expect any democratic support, either in committee or in the full Senate, and therefore, everyone needs to be in an all-deck-deck mindset,” he said. Said in an interview with Hewitt.
Running around on Friday as government officials at the White House and Capitol Hill in a post-fight fight, he spread the word about how much he spent racing on Friday to find people who had been exposed to known carriers of the virus.
Mr. Trump was in close proximity to Judge Barrett when he announced his nomination a week ago at a well-attended celebration in a rose garden where a few masks or other precautions were evident. President of the University of Notre Dame, Rev. John I. Jenkins, announced Friday that he has also tested positive.
Mr. Lee was one of at least eight Republican senators present at the White House event, where the video showed him embracing other attendees without masks.
Judge Barrett also met on Capitol Hill with Mr. Lee, a member of the Judiciary Committee, and more than a dozen other Republicans. The Utah Republican said he would be separated for 10 days after his diagnosis and would put him on track to re-emerge the day Mr. Graham wanted to begin Judge Barrett’s trial.
Other legislators close to Mr. Trump or his aides said they were being tested. Among them were Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Florida Republican Senators Rick Scott and Georgia Republican Senator Kelly Lofler, who announced they had tested negative.
Republican members of the Minnesota congressional delegation, who flew with the president from Air Force One to Washington in a campaign rally in Duluth, also said they were being tested.
Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan flew to Cleveland on Tuesday for a presidential discussion on Air Force One with Mr. Trump’s close ally and President Hope Hicks, who tested positive on Thursday. Mr Jordan announced on Friday that he had tested negative.
Concerns over the outbreak led to a change in the much-discussed approach of the Congress, which used to come in and out of the capital complex every week to check on thousands of people, many of whom were flying across the country.
The attending physician’s office informed legislators on Friday that Capitol would now be given the same day’s test for anyone who has shown potential coronavirus symptoms or who has been exposed to a positive test. Staff members who are in contact with the person who tested positive can also get the tests, Staff said.
The announcement comes after Mr Schumer expressed concern about the health outlook at Capital following Mr Trump’s positive test.
“This episode shows that the Senate needs a testing and contact tracing program for senators, staff and everyone working in the Capitol complex.” Mr. Schumer said. “We are not just allowing the intrusive attitude of the administration to adversely affect this branch of government. It is imperative to announce all the results for a possible outbreak and so we can determine the need for senators and staff to be different or self-segregated. “
The Democrats were strongly opposed to Judge Barrett’s nomination over fresh fears about the spread of the virus, who were already outraged that Republicans had come so close to the election to confirm Supreme Court justice, blocking President Barack Obama from filling the vacancy nine months ago. Election day in 2016.
But Republicans are eager to confirm the nominee more quickly as President Trump suspects re-election and his party fears losing its Senate majority. They have insisted they are justified in moving forward with the nomination because Mr. Trump was elected in 2016 and Republicans won Senate seats in 2018, arguing that he would be cut off from the losses incurred in November.
Some Republican advisers were pushing for more Republican senators to scrap plans to hold a Senate session next week in hopes of reducing the risk of infection. But deferral cannot be under the control of Mr. McConnell. He was in favor of letting the senators go home, but the Democrats, who were trying to hurt Republicans for rushing to fill the Supreme Court seat, refused to go along, using parliamentary tactics to stop him.
Speaking of Judge Barrett, two officials with knowledge of his medical history said he had already contracted the coronavirus and had recovered this year, possibly providing some immunity for him. But it is not yet clear whether she will continue face-to-face meetings with the senator next week.
On Friday she tested negative for the virus, officials said.
Emily Kochran and Katie Edmundson contributed to the report.
