Coons deems Barrett a danger to election, health care and ‘long-settled rights’
Sen. Chris Coons, a Delaware Democrat, hit on what he called the dangers of holding the hearing after two members of the committee have tested positive for COVID-19 and even more have come in contact with someone who has tested positive in recent days -- calling it a “rushed, hypocritical, partisan process [that] should not proceed.”
“This is an ongoing national emergency and as an exercise in civics, not politics, we in Congress should be working day and night to deliver them that [COVID] relief. Instead my colleagues are barreling forward with a confirmation hearing that's distracting from our responsibility to our constituents and threatens to further tear our nation apart,” Coons said.
Coons added, “Proceeding with this nomination at this time will do harm to what remaining trust we have in each other, the Senate as a whole and potentially to the court itself.”
As with Democrats before him, he humanized the Affordable Care Act by recalling stories of constituents who have relied on the law, and he said he doesn’t think the timing of Judge Barrett's nomination is any “coincidence.”
“It is beyond ironic this administration, which has failed to respond to this pandemic, is rushing through a judge they believe will vote to strip away health care protections,” he said.
“Judge Barrett I'm not suggesting you made some secret deal with President Trump. But I believe the reason you were chosen is precisely because your judicial philosophy as repeatedly stated could lead to the outcomes President Trump has sought. And I think that has dramatic and potentially harmful consequences with regards to the election, the Affordable Care Act and long-settled rights,” he said.
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