The Sunday political talk shows were dominated by a discussion of President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett a day after he formally announced the pick.
Democrats focused their criticism on what the pick might mean for the future of the Affordable Care Act, arguing Coney Barrett was likely to vote to end the law.
Republicans are seeking to finish the confirmation process before Election Day, and have warned Democrats against lodging personal attacks against Trump’s nominee.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed Republicans for trying to “undo” the Affordable Care Act by rushing a confirmation vote for Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s pick to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said Sunday that she would not support Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, because it would “be the vote that takes away health care for millions of Americans.”
Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) defended the Republican Senate majority’s decision to proceed with a Supreme Court nomination weeks before Election Day pointing to provisions in the Constitution that note filling such a vacancy is “unaffected by the electoral calendar.”
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday that the Democrats can “slow” the Supreme Court confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett “perhaps a matter of hours, maybe days at most.”
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) said Sunday he would not support adding justices to the Supreme Court or doing away with the filibuster if Democrats win a Senate majority and the White House.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said on Sunday that lawmakers can’t “boil down” what a Supreme Court nominee would do in one case, such as Roe v. Wade, when determining whether to support a justice’s confirmation.
President Trump said it’s “possible” his conservative Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett could tip the court against the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion rights by allowing states to decide whether to ban abortion.
Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is “flat-out wrong” in saying Democratic nominee Joe Biden “should not concede under any circumstances.”
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said Sunday there’s “varying degrees of confidence” in FBI Director Christopher Wray among cabinet members after the director testified before Congress that he has not seen evidence of widespread voter fraud in a major election.