The Democratic nominee for vice president, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., appearing virtually, opened her line of questioning with a 10-minute defense of the Affordable Care Act, arguing Republicans are confirming Barrett before the election so they can achieve their goal of getting the court to strike down the health care law. 

She asked Barrett when she wrote the article which criticized the majority decision of Chief Justice Roberts to uphold the Affordable Care Act, homing in on the timeline.

Barrett said she didn’t remember when she wrote it, but Harris responded that Trump nominated Barrett to the Seventh Circuit court five months after the article was published.

"In other words, the Affordable Care Act and its protections hinge on this seat,” Harris claimed. "You've already opined the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act. And that position satisfied the president's promise to only nominate judges who would tear down the Affordable Care Act."

Harris also asked if she was aware of Trump's statements committing to nominate judges who would strike down the Affordable Care Act before she was picked -- to which Barrett said she didn’t recall.

"I want to be very very careful. I'm under oath. As I'm sitting here, I don't recall seeing those statements,” Barrett said.

Highlighting the real-world impact of the health care law, as her Democratic colleagues had before her, Harris then asked, “Would you consider the 135 million people who gained protection under the Affordable Care Act when deciding the case that challenges that law?"

"Senator Harris, if I were to be confirmed and conclude that I was not -- I was able to sit on the case pursuant to the recusal statute and heard the case and decided the case, I would consider all the protections that Congress put in place," Barrett said.

Harris ended her questioning by arguing Barrett has been much less forthcoming than Justice Ginsburg was in her confirmation hearing, specifically when it came to legislation involving reproductive rights, but said the American people should be familiar with Barrett's views by now.

“I would suggest that we not pretend that we don't know how this nominee views a woman's right to choose," she added, referring to Roe v. Wade.

Graham called a 30-minute break shortly after 6:20 p.m. 

Meanwhile, President Trump, leaving for a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, told reporters, "I think Amy's doing incredibly well. It's been a great day."

President Trump had held his fire about the ongoing confirmation hearing, but criticism from Democratic Sen. Cory Booker prompted him to respond on Twitter. 

He specifically charged Booker with making "false charges and statements about me."

The tweet stood in sharp contrast with the civility inside the hearing room.

ABC News' Devin Dwyer reports the outright cordiality between members of both parties on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and between Democrats and Trump's Supreme Court nominee, is far from the polarized politics and deeply personal and hateful attacks seen in recent months and years. 

There have been few fireworks and even fewer cases of senators and the nominee talking over each other. 

Democrats are going out of their way to avoid cutting Barrett off -- and if they do, doing so with utmost sensitivity. 

"Would you like to say something? I don't want to cut you off," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. "No, that's okay," said Barrett.

Later, when pressing Barrett on a rape scenario, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., interjected, "I apologize for interrupting you, pressed for time. Respectfully, I want to share another health care story with you."

Booker, who brought theatrics of his own to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings, noted "good behavior" by the committee Tuesday.

"Judge, I apologized especially after the good behavior that was noted that we shouldn't be talking over each other. My time is running quickly," he told Barrett.

-ABC News' Jordyn Phelps and Devin Dwyer