VP Pence Accompanies Judge Amy Coney Barrett To Senate To Meet GOP Ahead Of SCOTUS Confirmation Vote

[Image source: Vice President Mike Pence's Twitter- photos.]

Posted By: Lindsey Michelle September 29, 2020

On Tuesday, Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett began meeting with Republican senators ahead of next months confirmation hearings and vote to confirm her to the highest court in the land. Vice President Mike Pence expressed that he was “honored to accompany Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Senate today to meet with [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell].”

Barrett kicked off the traditional charm offensive with a three-minute press gaggle with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Vice President Mike Pence, New York Post reported.

Vice President Mike Pence called Judge Barrett “an extraordinary American” and “someone of great character, of great intellect, who has a judicial philosophy that will uphold the Constitution of the United States.”

Judge Amy Coney Barrett will meet with the following senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday: 

Barrett, 48, was nominated on Saturday by President Trump and the trip is one of the first steps in a bitter partisan fight before the Nov. 3 election. She wore a blue dress and white pearl necklace for her Senate meetings and did not address reporters, reported New York Post.

The hearing to consider the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States will begin October 12, 2020. The hearing will last three to four days, using the format the committee has followed for recent Supreme Court nominees. Opening statements by Judiciary Committee members and the nominee will occur on Monday, October 12. The questioning of Judge Barrett will begin on Tuesday, October 13. Testimony by those who know Judge Barrett the best and legal experts is expected to follow.

Vice President Mike Pence also tweeted on Tuesday that he was “honored to accompany Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Senate today to meet with [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell].”

White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows also joined Barrett.

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Some Democrats, however, including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), expressed that they will not meet with Judge Barrett ahead of the the Senate hearings.

Schumer tweeted Tuesday morning that he won’t meet with Barrett, joining a growing list of Democrats, including Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

(Related: Sen. Blumenthal Says He Will Be ‘Fighting Like Hell To Defeat’ Judge Barrett ‘Using Every Possible Tool’)

Gillibrand claimed, “This nomination process is illegitimate. I refuse to participate in the further degradation of our democracy and our judiciary.”

(Related: Sen. Graham Warns Dems If They Treat Judge Barrett The Same As Kavanaugh: “It’s Gonna Blow Up In Their Face Big Time”)

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