***Live Updates*** Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings

She says Senate Republicans have made it “crystal clear” that rushing through a Supreme Court nomination is more important than helping Americans dealing with COVID/economic problems.Harris says Republicans want to rush Barrett’s nomination because they want the Supreme Court to do their “dirty work” on Obamacare.Kamala Harris appearing in her office with children’s book about Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the background. Crapo rips Democrats for court packing and says “this is not court packing.” He says the standard arguments against Barrett about how she will be an activist judge who will overturn Obamacare are just standard arguments that are made when a Republican nominates someone to the Supreme Court. Hirono says Barrett aligned herself with Scalia, who voted twice to strike down Obamacare, at the White House “super-spreader event.” Hirono calls this a “hypocritical” and “illegitimate process” and accuses Republicans of wanting Barrett to be seated on the court to hear the Obamacare case a week after the election. She says repealing Obamacare is at the top of the GOP’s “hit list.”Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett heads back into Senate Judiciary Cmte hearing room followed by White House Counsel Pat Cipollone. #ConfirmACB #SCOTUS pic.twitter.com/codEFflirz— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) October 12, 2020Committee will be in recess until 12:20 PM.11:21 AM: Blumenthal says Barrett’s nomination is about the GOP’s goal of repealing Obamacare, which he says they “detest so much.” He claims Barrett will become a judicial activist who will use originalism as a “smokescreen” to overturn Obamacare. He says that is because Barrett’s credentials are “impeccable.” He says the Senate should decide and debate issues dealing with Obamacare.WATCH: My opening remarks at today’s @senjudiciary #SCOTUS confirmation hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett 👇https://t.co/DJzLENfMbd— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 12, 202010:17 AM: Whitehouse says Barrett’s confirmation will be a “judicial torpedo” aimed at Obamacare. Whitehouse calls the hearing an “unseemly charade.”Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse: "My constituents want you, my colleagues, members of the Republican Party, to stand up for once to Mitch McConnell and to the big donors who are driving this process, and for the sake of regular people say, 'Stop'" https://t.co/uScvfX9o80 pic.twitter.com/MIBUQcRElD— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 12, 202010:05 AM: Sen. Lee (R-UT) says most Supreme Court decisions are decided by 9-0, 8-1, or 7-2 votes. pic.twitter.com/1AU4CYWxTk— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) October 12, 20209:58 PM: Durbin says Republicans want to confirm Barrett because they doubt Trump will get re-elected and want judges to support issues that Americans are against. Leahy says senators know in their hearts this confirmation hearing is wrong and then talks extensively about how Republicans want to nominate Barrett so Obamacare can be overturned. He says they are scared that Barrett’s confirmation will “rip away” their healthcare coverage.Schumer says Democrats will be showing “large portraits” of people who stand to lose their health care if Obamacare is struck down in the hearing room."We’re going to show the American people how damaging this nominee…will be if she gets on the bench,” he tells MSNBC— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) October 12, 2020Leahy on coronavirus at Barrett confirmation hearing: The Senate is wearing blinders to the grim realities which face Americans— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) October 12, 20209:35 AM:.@KamalaHarris stopped to answer two questions from me on Capitol Hill this AM as she walked to her office to participate in the Judiciary hearings virtually .On her opening statement, Harris said it’s about “establishing the context of this hearing.” pic.twitter.com/gLqvQ8Lxmn— Jasmine Wright (@JasJWright) October 12, 20209:25 AM: Grassley says we are fortunate that Barrett’s record reflects that she believes judges are not policymakers after quoting Scalia on the the importance of the separation of powers. pic.twitter.com/qB6LyEsMMV— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) October 12, 2020She says those with pre-existing conditions like COVID-19 could be denied coverage if Barrett becomes a Supreme Court justice.Sen Graham back away from Sen Feinstein. pic.twitter.com/gg1EvztmaA— Julie Cohen (@FilmmakerJulie) October 12, 2020(Feinstein also not wearing a mask during her opening remarks.)Sen. Dianne Feinstein at #SCOTUS nomination hearings …— Her first, July 21, 1993, for Ruth Bader Ginsburg— Her most recent, Oct. 12, 2020, for Amy Coney Barrett pic.twitter.com/TeRK2egThn— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 12, 20209:12 AM: Graham says this is “probably not about persuading each other” and adds that all Republicans will vote “yes” and all Democrats” on the committee will vote “no.”To everyone who is barely hanging onto their homes, who has lost a loved one to COVID-19, who has no way to pay the bills: know that instead of voting to provide relief you desperately need, Senate Republicans today are choosing to hold a hearing to confirm a judge.— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) October 12, 20209:10 AM: Graham says this is an election year and says Democrats will say “this has never been done.” Graham says Ginsburg said a president serves four years and not three and there is nothing unconstitutional about this process and the Senate is doing its duty.9:05 AM: In his opening remarks, Graham says the late Justice Ginsburg was confirmed 96-3 even though she was known as an “icon” in progressive circles. Graham says he doesn’t know what happened between then and now but there was a time when someone like Ginsburg was seen by almost everyone as qualified for the Supreme Court.Graham says Barrett is in a “category of excellence” and something the country should be proud of.Confirmation hearing: Supreme Court Nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett testifies before Senate Judiciary – LIVE on C-SPAN, @cspanRadio & online here: https://t.co/QdpF3WrYpX pic.twitter.com/nbQaORZTT9— CSPAN (@cspan) October 12, 20209:02 AM: Graham gavels in the hearing, and he says he doubts there is any room in the country that has been given more attention to be CDC compliant. #AllRise pic.twitter.com/PyK7fgdMSC— Renee Bracey Sherman (@RBraceySherman) October 12, 2020Judiciary Committee about to gavel in to begin hearings for #AmyConeyBarrett – I hope Democrats today will clearly renounce their attacks on her religious faith and admit these attacks have been wrong and bigoted— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) October 12, 2020Today is the 1st day of the confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, a respected judge who is supremely qualified to serve on #SCOTUS. Democrats will do all we can to delay or stop this process.— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) October 12, 2020Today is Day 1 of the Senate Judiciary hearings on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/xEzppZd86z— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) October 12, 2020Democrats hv long said the American Bar Association is the "gold standard" &they hv determined Judge Amy Coney Barrett is WELL QUALIFIED 2b Supreme Court Justice. And the only way to actually preserve or restore any legitimacy will be to add seats,” says Christopher Kang https://t.co/qPJT4c7gJb https://t.co/vLUW0lCmUS— MaryAlice Parks (@maryaliceparks) October 12, 2020 Democrats are trying to fundamentally, structurally change the court so they can add liberal justices and use the judiciary as a superlegislature.— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) October 12, 2020 The setup for Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Senate confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill.