Barrett Hearings To Last Up To Four Days Starting October 12 - Senate Judiciary Committee

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th September, 2020) Confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by US President Donald Trump to be the new Supreme Court justice, to fill a Supreme Court seat vacated after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will begin on October 12 and will last for up to four days, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) this evening announced that 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 committee said in a Saturday statement.

Earlier on Saturday, Trump announced at the White House, with judge Barrett, 48, standing beside him, that he was officially nominating her for the Supreme Court.

"The [confirmation] 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," the committee said on Saturday.

Trump said on Saturday that his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court will be confirmed promptly and easily.

"Her qualifications are unsurpassed and her record is beyond reproach.

This should be a straightforward and prompt confirmation, it should be very easy, good luck. It's gonna be very quick, I am sure it will be extremely non-controversial," Trump said at the White House.

Graham said in a Saturday statement that Barrett was an "outstanding" nominee.

"As the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I'm very committed to ensuring that the nominee gets a challenging, fair, and respectful hearing. We move forward on this nomination knowing that the President has picked a highly qualified individual who will serve our nation well on the highest court in the land," Graham said.

After Trump announced Barrett's nomination on Saturday, US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden released a statement urging the Senate not to approve Trump's nomination before the November vote.

Earlier this month, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 87, died of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at her home in Washington. Before her passing, the US Supreme Court was already stacked with a 5-4 conservative majority.

The Democrats have been highly critical of Trump's intention to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat just weeks before the presidential election.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said earlier this month that the Senate would vote on Trump's pick to replace Ginsburg regardless of criticism by the Democrats. The Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.