What, When & Where: Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing to Kick Off in US Senate

The Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s nominee Amy Coney Barrett will kick off on Monday, as initially scheduled by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, despite turmoil that occurred after two Republican senators, Thom Tillis from North Carolina and Mike Lee from Utah, tested positive for coronavirus.

If everything goes according to plan, Barrett’s candidacy can be confirmed before Election Day, despite strong opposition from the Democrats. The schedule for the hearing is the following:

• At 9 a.m. ET (13 p.m. GMT) on Monday all 22 senators, including Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein, will present their opening statements before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Amy Coney Barrett will then be introduced to give her opening address and sworn in to testify before the Senate. According to Barrett’s prepared remarks seen by the Associated Press, in her speech the nominee is expected to praise late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg while saying that “no one will ever take her place”.
• On Tuesday and Wednesday, Barrett will be questioned by lawmakers in relation to her background and career path. During Barrett’s Court of Appeals confirmation hearing held in September 2017, some Democratic senators used this opportunity to raise doubts as to whether the judge’s religious views could interfere with her court decisions. At the time, Barrett argued that her “personal church affiliation or my religious belief would not bear on the discharge of my duties as a judge".