Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have offered high praise to President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, describing her as a “legal trailblazer” and “committed constitutionalist” who stands as a “problem to rabid partisans, and an ally to the rule of law.”

President Trump formally announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a former law clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, as his nominee to the Supreme Court on Saturday.

While Democrats immediately launched a string of attacks, questioning Barrett’s faith, adopted children, and legal positions, GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee struck a positive tone, describing Barrett as a qualified originalist with a commitment to the Constitution, which she said she loved.

“Judge Barrett is highly qualified in all the areas that matter – character, integrity, intellect, and judicial disposition,”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said. “She is an outstanding #SupremeCourt nominee by President @realDonaldTrump”:

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Barrett is “eminently qualified,” noting that she is “roundly revered in legal circles for her well-reasoned and deliberate decisions, as well as for her commitment to applying the law as written, regardless of outcome”:

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) praised Barrett’s status as both a “working mom of seven” and “accomplished legal scholar” and stressed that she deserves a “fair and honest confirmation process”:

“She believes her duty isn’t to arbitrarily slop applesauce on stone tablets and declare new laws — her duty is to cloak her personal views under a black robe and to faithfully uphold the Constitution. That makes her a problem to rabid partisans, and an ally to the rule of law,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said:

More:

Graham has since presented a timeline for the confirmation hearings, predicting that they will kick off October 12, just weeks ahead of the presidential election.

“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 during a Saturday appearance on Fox News’s Justice.

“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 senator added.

Graham hopes Barrett will be out of the committee by October 26.

“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,” he said.