Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday that the Senate will vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett despite the outbreak of coronavirus amongst several Republican senators.
“I’m very confident. I believe we have the votes. I believe we’ll get it done,” Cruz said during a Washington Post Live interview. “As I see it, we have a solid 51 votes right now. And from the conversations in the conference, I don’t see that changing.”
Three Republican senators have tested positive for coronavirus. Trump also has coronavirus and was discharged from Walter Reed hospital Monday night.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) questions witnesses during a hearing about “anarchist violence” in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill August 04, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee was the first U.S. senator present Sept. 26 at the White House for the Supreme Court nomination to test positive for coronavirus, announcing earlier Friday that he would be heading home to recover. Lee also met with Barrett on Tuesday.
Republican North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis then tested positive. Tillis was also at the White House event and met with Barrett on Wednesday in the Capitol. Republican Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson was the third Republican senator in 24 hours to test positive.
Johnson said Monday that he will vote to confirm Barrett even if he is still positive with coronavirus during a radio interview,
“If we have to go in and vote, I’ve already told leadership I’ll go in a moon suit,” Johnson said during the interview with 630 KHOW. (RELATED: ‘I’ll Go In A Moon Suit’: Sen. Ron Johnson Says He Will Vote To Confirm Amy Coney Barrett Even If Still Positive With COVID)
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin its hearing Monday. The hearing will go through October 15.