Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris on Monday denounced the Senate’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett as “reckless” and “illegitimate.”
Harris, speaking via video feed to the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, said Capitol complex workers were placed “at risk” by the event after two Republican committee members recently contracted COVID-19.
“This hearing should have been postponed. The decision to hold this hearing now is reckless and places facilities workers, janitorial staff and congressional aides and Capitol Police at risk,” Harris (D-Calif.) said.
Harris joined fellow Democrats who claimed that Barrett’s nomination is being considered ahead of the Nov. 3 election so that she can help gut the remaining provisions of ObamaCare when the law goes before the court next month.
President Trump has vowed to continue ObamaCare’s popular protections for people with pre-existing conditions if justices scrap the law, but polls indicate health care is a Republican electoral vulnerability.
“Republicans finally realized that the Affordable Care Act is too popular to repeal in Congress. So now they are trying to bypass the role of voters and have the Supreme Court do their dirty work,” Harris said.
Republicans in Congress in 2017 axed a central provision of ObamaCare that required all Americans who didn’t have health insurance through their employers to purchase private policies or face a fine. The Supreme Court upheld the individual mandate in a 5-4 ruling in 2012, deeming the fine a tax.
“More than 9 million Americans have already voted and millions more will vote while this illegitimate committee process is underway. A clear majority of Americans want whomever wins this election to fill the seat,” Harris continued.
Harris said Barrett’s nomination to replace liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg could impact many policy areas.
“By placing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with someone who will undo her legacy, President Trump is attempting to roll back Americans’ rights for decades to come,” Harris said.
“Every American must understand that with this nomination, equal justice under law is at stake. Our voting rights are at stake, workers’ rights are at stake, consumer rights are at stake, the right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake and holding corporations accountable is at stake.”
