WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today released the following statement after voting against President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court:
“This is a dark day for the United States Senate. Republicans are defying the rules and traditions of this body in a rush to confirm Judge Barrett in the middle of a once-in-a-century pandemic and an election.
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“On Friday and Saturday, more than 83,000 new COVID-19 infections were reported each day—the highest daily totals since the pandemic began. More than 225,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and more than 8.6 million have been infected. And more than 60 million ballots have already been cast in the presidential election that is just eight days away.
“But Republicans refuse to let that reality intrude on their top priority: cementing a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court before Election Day and before the November 10 arguments in the case where Republicans are seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act’s coverage and pre-existing condition protections for millions of Americans—all in the middle of a pandemic.
“As a result of this partisan power grab, the future of the Affordable Care Act, the right to privacy and choice, the outcome of the election, and so many other important rights and protections are at risk. I believe my Republican colleagues will regret the consequences of taking the Senate down this path.”
