Senate Judiciary Chair Graham opens meeting to vote on SCOTUS nominee Amy Coney Barrett: "As you know, our Democratic colleagues informed the cmte last night they will not participate in the hearing. That was their choice. It will be my choice to vote the nominee out of cmte."
Graham on Judiciary Cmte Democrats:"We're not going to allow them to take over the cmte.They made a choice not to participate." Cmte Democrats have placed ACA-related posters they used at the Barrett hearings in their seats instead of attending the meeting to vote on the nominee.
12-0: Senate Judiciary Cmte voted unanimously to favorably report out the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice to US Supreme Court to the full Senate for floor debate and confirmation vote. All 10 Cmte Democrats did not today's meeting to protest the vote.
Senate Judiciary Cmte Clerk: "Mr. Chairman, the votes are 12 yeas, 10 no votes."
Chair Graham: "The nomination will be reported favorably to the floor with a unanimous vote."
Senate Judiciary also favorably reported out nomination of Benjamin Beaton, fmr law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to full Senate on 12-0 vote w/none of 10 Cmte Democrats present.He would replace Judge Justin Walker on US District Ct for Western KY.
Cornyn(R-TX):"I find this to be a surreal environment we're in where are Democratic colleagues announced yesterday they're going to boycott 1 of most important votes this cmte will have probably during our entire senatorial tenure..provide advice & consent to nominee for SCOTUS."
12-0:Senate Judiciary Cmte authorized subpoenas for Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey & Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Democrats who were not present had previously asked Graham to hold vote over but it was held because of "a lot of interest,of getting social media folks here to answer ?s."
Senate Judiciary Chair Graham after cmte approved Judge Barrett's Supreme Court nomination 12-0 w/all cmte Democrats boycotting: "We did it.We did it Judge Barrett's going to the floor.Hope you look back on this time on the cmte and say I was here when it mattered,and you were."
12-0:Senate Judiciary w/no cmte Democrats in present for a quorum voted on Judge Barrett.Graham:"I ask unanimous consent notwithstanding motion of Oct 15 setting vote on Barrett nomination at 1pm,cmte proceed immediately to vote on Barrett nomination.Any objection?W/o objection."
Lee (R-UT) on past Senate Supreme Court confirmations: "That era of generally common mutual respect ended in 1987 when Democratic-controlled Senate shamefully, slanderously defeated nomination of one of the country's respected lawyers & constitutional scholars,Judge Robert Bork."
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Senate NOW voting to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to be Associate Justice of US Supreme Court. Simple majority is needed. Business on Executive Calendar,which consists of nominations and treaties, is considered in executive session.
Many Senators are voting from their floor desks on this vote to begin debate on Barrett nomination.
Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) both voted No against the Senate entering executive session to consider the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to be an Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court.
Senate now is session and is holding a live quorum to mark Senators attendance, allowing the Senate to conduct business. A vote on McConnell motion to proceed to Legislative Session is expected next.
Senate Judiciary Cmte Chair Graham after Barrett vote: "The Cmte did the right thing. The judge deserved a vote up or down. Democrats chose to participate in the hearings, asked her hard questions. I think they owed it to her to show up today and vote her yes or no."
Graham on Judiciary Cmte Democrats boycott and Barrett cmte vote: "They made a decision. I made a decision. It'd be wrong to deny Judge Barrett a chance to be confirmed on the floor of the United States Senate." c-span.org/video/?477247-…
Graham (R-SC):"If you're a Democrat,the people who want to pack the court will come after you if you say no. Senator Feinstein's a wonderful person, a progressive Senator who for decades been supportive of the pro-choice cause. She dared hug me and looks what's happening to her."
Schumer outside US Capitol: "I am here to stand with my colleagues on the Judiciary Cmte who are boycotting today's cmte markup on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court."
Schumer: "This is not a decision the members have taken lightly, but a Republican majority has left us no choice. We are boycotting this illegitimate hearing."
Schumer: "Chairman Graham has broken the rules of the cmte to move forward with a vote on Judge Barrett anyway. The rules require 2 members of the minority to be present to vote anyone out of cmte, but Chairman Graham just steamrolled over them."
Senate Intel Acting Chair Rubio & Vice Chief Warner: “Our adversaries abroad seek to sow chaos & undermine voters belief in our democratic institutions, including the election systems and infrastructure that we rely on to record & properly report expressions of the voters’ will.”
Rubio-Warner bipartisan statement: “They may seek to target those systems, or simply leave the impression that they have altered or manipulated those systems, in order to undermine their credibility and our confidence in them.”
Rubio-Warner: “As we enter the last weeks before the election, we urge every American – including members of the media – to be cautious about believing or spreading unverified, sensational claims related to votes and voting.”