5 interesting things said on day 1 of Barrett confirmation hearings
Kamala Harris: Senate Republicans are ‘deliberately defying the will of the people’
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., used her opening remarks to slam the Senate Judiciary Committee’s decision to hold confirmation hearings for Barrett in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and accused Senate Republicans of “deliberately defying the will of the people.”
“This committee has ignored common sense requests to keep people safe, including not requiring testing for all members despite a coronavirus outbreak among Senators of this very committee,” she said.
“The decision to hold this hearing now is reckless and places facilities workers, janitorial staff and congressional aides and Capitol Police at risk. Not to mention that while tens of millions of Americans are struggling to pay their bills, the Senate should be prioritizing coronavirus relief and providing financial support to those families,” said Harris, echoing the remarks of some of her Democratic colleagues.
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“Senate Republicans have made it crystal clear that rushing a Supreme Court nomination is more important than helping and supporting the American people who are suffering from a deadly pandemic and a devastating economic crisis. Their priorities are not the American people’s priorities.”
After mentioning that “a clear majority of Americans want whomever wins this election to fill this seat,” Harris proclaimed that Senate Republicans “were deliberately defying the will of the people in their attempt to roll back the rights and protections provided under the Affordable Care Act.”
After warning about the implications of the Supreme Court hypothetically overturning the ACA, Harris reinforced Feinstein’s promise to focus on healthcare throughout the confirmation hearings. She told the story of an 11-year-old girl with a congenital heart defect whose mother said that the only reason she is “able to live her life as she does now is because the Affordable Care Act guarantees that her health insurance cannot deny her coverage or limit her care because it’s too expensive.”
“If Republicans succeed in striking down the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies will be able to deny coverage for children with serious conditions,” she warned. “Healthcare and access to healthcare should be a right.”
Harris closed by warning that Ginsburg’s “legacy and the rights she fought so hard to protect are in jeopardy” because Barrett is “someone who will undo her legacy.” “Every American must understand that with this nomination, equal justice under law is at stake: our voting rights are at stake, workers’ rights are at stake, consumer rights are at stake, the right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake, and holding corporations accountable is at stake.”
