The Senate Judiciary Committee is likely to begin a confirmation hearing on Oct. 12 for President Donald Trump’s pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, according to a report from The Hill.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is expected to announce the committee’s schedule later Saturday, once Trump formally nominates his replacement.
Sources familiar with the process told Bloomberg News the plan could lead to a final vote by the Senate by the week of Oct. 26.
Trump is expected to be formally announce Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his nominee on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Barrett was previously nominated by Trump to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017. A devout Roman Catholic, she is and a favorite among religious conservatives.
Trump told reporters following his arrival in Maryland yesterday that Barrett was “outstanding.”
The Hill noted that Trump’s former nominees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, had roughly two months between their formal nominations and the first day of their hearings.
If Graham advances as quickly as expected, Barrett will likely have just over two weeks between her nomination Saturday and the beginning of her hearing on Oct. 12.
Graham said that he would swiftly hold the committee’s hearing telling Fox News on Monday that the GOP has the votes to fill Ginsburg’s seat before Nov. 3.
“We’re going to move forward in the committee,” Gram said, “We’re going to report the nomination out of the committee to the floor of the United States Senate so we can vote before the election.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) a Democrat on the committee, criticized Republicans earlier this week for jamming through a confirmation.
“This entire process is a charade,” she said in a statement obtained by Bloomberg News. “This president shouldn’t even be nominating a replacement to Justice Ginsburg’s seat so close to an election. Republicans are only compounding that mistake by rushing the process.”
Per The Hill, a source said that Barrett’s confirmation hearings are expected to follow a similar four-days schedule, allotting time for opening statements, two days for questioning, and a final day inviting outside experts.
