Graham: Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation Could Get to the Senate Floor ‘Around’ October 26

On Saturday’s broadcast of Fox News Channel’s “Justice,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, laid out the timeline for the confirmation process of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, who Graham argued had been consistent with past Supreme Court confirmations.

When asked by host Jeanine Pirro, Graham said he anticipated October 12 as the start date for hearings before his committee.

“October 12 — that would be 16 days for the nomination and 24 of the 42 Supreme Court justices who have had hearings were done within 16 days,” Graham said. “Kennedy — 14, Stevens — 10, Powell — 12, Rehnquist — 12, Blackmon — 14, Chief Justice Burger 11. So, 16 days from now, we will start the hearings on October 12. Monday will be introduction, opening statements, a statement by the nominee, Tuesday and Wednesday will be question days, and Thursday, we will begin the mark-up process.”

The South Carolina Republican lawmaker said he did not expect anything similar to what had happened with Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation back in 2018.

However, he predicted that a floor vote on actual confirmation could come on October 26.

“I hope to get her out of the committee by the 26th of October,” he said. “That will allow us to follow the normal rules of the committee, and that would be up to Mitch McConnell what to do after that. But we’ll start on the 12th. We’ll have four days of hearings, then we’ll hold over the nomination for a week, consistent with the rules of the Judiciary Committee. And hopefully, we’ll come to the floor around the 26th, and that will be up to Mitch McConnell.

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