Blackburn: Barrett Hearings Won't Be Delayed

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation proceedings will not be delayed, even though two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to open the hearings next Monday, have been diagnosed with coronavirus, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday. 

"The American people want us to be busy with our work, whether we're working remotely, virtually, or in person," the Tennessee Republican said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" Monday. "We are going to move forward with these hearings and they are going to begin next Monday, Oct. 12."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, has said there is no reason to rush Barrett's nomination, but he also knows that the Senate Rules Committee last spring approved a process for hybrid hearings, said Blackburn. 

"The Senate Judiciary Committee has done 21 hybrid hearings," said Blackburn. "We have a way to move forward. It is not rushing it."

GOP Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, both members of the committee, reported over the weekend they have tested positive for coronavirus. 

Meanwhile, even if there are senators who do not show up for the full vote for Barrett, as long as there are 51 votes, she will be confirmed, said Blackburn. 

"I am thrilled that we are going to move forward and we are going to move Judge Barrett, who is so highly qualified and highly regarded by her colleagues on both the left and the right," said Blackburn. "We are going to move her forward and confirm her."

Also on Monday, Blackburn said isn't buying former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe's statement that he won't testify before the committee after Lee and Tillis tested positive for COVID.

"He knows that (Rod) Rosenstein, (Robert) Gates and (James) Comey have come before the committee and said they were completely oblivious to anything that was going on," said Blackburn.

But, she added, "somebody cooked up this plan" to launch an investigation against the 2016 Trump campaign, and  "our job is to find that somebody."

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