Two Judiciary Democrats say they will not meet with Trump’s Supreme Court pick

Two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will not meet with Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to fill the Supreme Court vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), two of the 10 Democrats on the panel, will not hold informational meetings with Barrett. The meetings aren’t required, but they are a tradition, and they allow for a senator to privately question a Supreme Court pick before a hearing. 

“I will oppose the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, as I would any nominee proposed as part of this illegitimate sham process, barely one month before an election as Americans are already casting their votes. The American people deserve a voice in this hugely consequential decision,” Blumenthal said in a statement. 

“I refuse to treat this process as legitimate and will not meet with Judge Barrett,” he added.

A spokesperson for Hirono confirmed that she will not meet with Barrett either. Hirono also did not meet with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s second Supreme Court nominee. 

Barrett, whom Trump named as his nominee on Saturday evening, is expected to start meeting with senators next week, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

No Democrat on the Judiciary Committee is expected to support her nomination after opposing her for her circuit court seat. But the caucus is currently debating what tactics it should use in the expected four days of public hearings. 

Other Democrats on the committee immediately panned Barrett’s nomination but did not address if they would meet with her. 

“We are 38 days from Election Day.  And we are 45 days from the Supreme Court taking up the case that will decide whether the Affordable Care Act will survive. President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell want to rush Judge Barrett’s nomination through the Senate before those two dates arrive,” said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat. 

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) added that the “confirmation process that is starting soon in the Senate may be the most divisive and damaging we’ve been through.”

“I call on my Republican colleagues to defer consideration of Judge Barrett’s nomination and focus on the critical work of providing another round of pandemic relief to the millions of Americans in need,” he added.