Sputnik is live from Washington, where the US Senate is debating the candidature of Amy Coney Barrett, currently a judge on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, for the Supreme Court seat left vacant by liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on 18 September.
On Thursday, the US Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to advance the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for a Supreme Court role, with a final vote by the full chamber slated for next week.
The vote was boycotted by Senate Democrats, as they protested against what they called “the rush” to accept Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination. Instead of attending the gathering, they filled their seats with images of people impacted by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, which many Republicans have opposed. The Supreme Court is due to hear arguments in the case involving Obamacare on 10 November.