There will not be any delay in conducting a confirmation hearing for President Donald Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures.
Cotton told Maria Bartiromo that the Senate would vote on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's nomination even if several members need attend hearings remotely because they tested positive for coronavirus.
"What I can say is everyone is eager to be at work when they need to be at work," Cotton said. "Several of the senators who are in isolation right now [will] come out of isolation before those hearings begin."
He said he has no doubt the hearing "is going forward" noting the Senate Judiciary Committee has conducted 20 hearings that were either fully or in part virtual this year.
"I think every senator who currently tested positive or is in isolation will be back to work under normal conditions, as other senators have been as well, like Rand Paul or Tim Kaine," Cotton said.
But he said if that is not the case, "there is a long and venerable tradition of ill or medically infirm senators being wheeled in to cast critical votes on the Senate floor."
He said in 2009 Sen. Robert Byrd "rolled in in a wheelchair, just months before his death, to vote for Obamacare."
"I'm confident every senator will be in attendance when his or her vote is needed," Cotton said.
Several senators announced they tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week. Sens. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have all confirmed they have the virus. Hearings for Judge Barrett's confirmation proceedings are scheduled to begin Oct. 12. A full vote is scheduled to take place Oct. 26.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.