Many Firsts At Confirmation Hearings For Judge Amy Coney Barrett
The hearings, which start at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, begin against the backdrop of early voting that has begun in many states and just 22 days before Election Day.
There will be plenty of firsts on Monday as the Senate Judiciary Committee opens hearings on the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
It is the first time that a confirmation hearing is taking place amid a pandemic and with two committee members, both Republicans, recently having tested positive for the coronavirus.
It is also the first time that a confirmation hearing is taking place at the same time early voting has begun in many states, and in a presidential election year.
And while political hardball is not new, Senate Republicans are playing a confirmation game that is wildly more aggressive than at any time in memory.
Four years ago, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell refused for nearly a
