Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett as President Donald Trump’s nominee seeks Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court.
“Too many lives are on the line,” Warren said in a Tuesday statement. “We need to treat this nomination like the illegitimate power grab it is.”
“I will not lend legitimacy to Mitch McConnell’s efforts to steal another Supreme Court seat,” the statement said before criticizing Barrett’s purported views on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Roe v. Wade and calling the Supreme Court nominee an “extremist.”
I will not be meeting with Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. We need to treat this nomination like the illegitimate power grab it is. pic.twitter.com/KwmtQ27miP
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 29, 2020
House Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Sunday that he would not be meeting with Barrett, calling the process “illegitimate.”
“I am not going to meet with Judge Barrett,” he tweeted Tuesday. “Why would I meet with a nominee of such an illegitimate process and one who is determined to get rid of the Affordable Care Act?”
I am not going to meet with Judge Barrett. Why would I meet with a nominee of such an illegitimate process and one who is determined to get rid of the Affordable Care Act?https://t.co/7v4ES3HNM1
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 29, 2020
Three other Democratic senators, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, have all said they would not meet with Barrett. Delaware’s Chris Coons and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin have said they would, although all have said they would not vote yes on confirmation. (RELATED: John Kennedy: Democrats Will Accuse Barrett Of ‘Drowning Little Newborn Puppies’ Before It’s Over)
Confirmation hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee are scheduled to start Oct. 12.