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Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, pictured at the White House on Sept. 26, is facing the Senate Judiciary Committee this week for her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, pictured at the White House on Sept. 26, is facing the Senate Judiciary Committee this week for her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

The Senate Judiciary Committee begins its second day of hearings Tuesday on President Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

If confirmed, Barrett, 48, would replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the high court.

You can watch the hearing here beginning at 9 a.m. ET each day. Follow live updates here.

After a day of opening statements from members of the panel and from Barrett, Tuesday and Wednesday are devoted to questioning of the nominee. Outside witnesses testify for and against Barrett on Thursday.

The nomination has become a political lightning rod as Democrats charge that Republicans are rushing it to get Barrett confirmed before the Nov. 3 election. Democrats say the seat should be filled by the next president.

It's also unclear how the coronavirus pandemic will affect the hearings. Two GOP members of the panel, Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have tested positive for the virus.

Democrats, led by Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, had demanded that the hearing be postponed "to ensure that we don't risk the health and safety of fellow senators, Senate staff, other Senate employees, as well as Judge Barrett and her family."

But committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., vowed to press forward and tweeted, "Any Senator who wants to participate virtually will be allowed to do so." Lee attended in personon Monday.

All members who wish to vote on Barrett's nomination will have to be present, however, when it comes time. The committee is expected to vote on Oct. 22, followed by a full Senate vote.

This post was originally published on Monday at 8 a.m. ET.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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NPR News' Brian Naylor is a correspondent on the Washington Desk. In this role, he covers politics and federal agencies.