Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” despite taking issue with the timing of the confirmation process for Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) acknowledged the pick was “qualified as a judge” for the nomination.
“We should not be racing ahead with this partisan process,” Coon declared. “There is no precedent in our nation’s history for the Senate holding a confirmation hearing for a Supreme Court nominee this close, just 27 days, before a presidential election where people are already voting in more than half the states.”
The Delaware U.S. Senator described Barrett as “even more conservative” than former Justice Antonin Scalia.
“I’ve been reading her opinions and law review articles, and I’m increasingly convinced that she’s even more conservative than Justice Scalia for whom she clerked on the Supreme Court, and she has demonstrated a willingness to reverse long-settled precedent,” he added, saying the confirmation hearings should be delayed until after the presidential election.
“So you disagree with Judge Barrett on major policy issues, obviously, but do you think she’s qualified as a judge?” MSNBC’s Willie Geist asked.
“I think she is qualified as a judge,” Coons replied. “I think she’s going to be an engaging candidate.
“But, frankly, what matters here is not whether she’s taught at a well-regarded law school or whether she answers questions well,” he added. “What matters is her judicial philosophy, how she will change the balance on the court, and what the consequences will be for tens or hundreds of millions of Americans.”
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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