Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee may try to disrupt the proceedings for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, but come Oct. 22, "we're going to vote her out of committee," Sen. Lindsey Graham, who chairs the group, said Monday morning before the proceedings opened.
"What we do between now and then is up to them," the South Carolina Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "I hope we have a respectful hearing. I hope we give 10-minute openings and we hear from the judge the way we've done the last 15 or 20 times."
However, Graham said he'll be "surprised" if Democrats try to become too disruptive leading into a presidential election.
"(Justice Brett) Kavanaugh blew up in their faces," said Graham. "If they play any dirty tricks, it will not help them in their overall cause, but time will tell."
Graham also said "great pains" have been taken to make sure the committee room is safe considering the coronavirus pandemic and the recent spate of infections in the nation's capital.
"At a restaurant, you don't shut the restaurant down," said Graham. "If a military unit has a positive you go about your business safely. We'll have a safe hearing space."
He also said that he believes committee members Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., both of whom have COVID, will be "good to go" when it comes time for the vote on Barrett next Thursday.
"I don't think that's going to be a problem," said Graham. "You can participate virtually in the hearing itself. I do need the Republicans present this coming Thursday, I see no problem with that, and we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Graham also rejected arguments from Democrats that Barrett has legal conflicts because of the timing.
"(Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer, he's the one who changed the rules, to begin with," said Graham. "He's the guy that's going to to pack the court if we lose the House, the Senate, and the White House. Chuck Schumer's done a lot of damage to the judiciary wanting to make it liberal."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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