Sen. Durbin: Affordable Care Act, Women's Right to Privacy, Choice, Election Integrity At Stake With This Supreme Court Nomination

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on Oct. 15:

On the fourth day of the Supreme Court nomination hearing for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today reiterated what is at stake with this Supreme Court nomination, including the Affordable Care Act, the right to privacy and choice, and the outcome of the election.

"We know that this process is really stacked--the President told us so, repeatedly. Where we can't get a direct answer from the nominee, we get direct answers every day in the tweets from the President. We know exactly what his motive was in nominating this person for the Supreme Court--he doesn't cover it up. His motive is to make sure there will be someone on the Court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act," Durbin said. "And to think that this President said, and one of the members of this Committee said, 'I'm not going to vote for anyone until I'm certain she's going to overturn Roe v. Wade,' and then announces I'm voting for her. Well now we are getting the deck stacked again... And then, as a grace note, the President adds, 'we need to be sure to have nine Justices on the Supreme Court in case there is an election contest.' My friends, how obvious can this be?"

Durbin continued, "We know what the President had in mind when he came up with this name... we have to really believe what the President said. He picked a nominee who he thought would achieve his political goals. And we are breaking the rules of the Senate--breaking the rules of this Committee--we are defying our own tradition and commonsense... this nomination at this moment in time is not usual, not normal, and beneath the dignity of this Committee."

Video of Durbin's remarks in Committee is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOevZ7XCImo&feature=youtu.be

Audio of Durbin's remarks in Committee is available here: https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/audio/listen/durbin-affordable-care-act-womens-right-to-privary-and-choice-election-integrity-at-stake-with-this-supreme-court-nomination

Footage of Durbin's remarks in Committee is available here for TV Stations: https://lfts.senate.gov/seos/1000/mpd/ui31102020ae47456b7630a1c972f0acfd7e7a7cee

Durbin also attempted to delay the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett by moving to adjourn the Senate Judiciary Committee markup on her nomination on the basis that her hearing is not yet complete. There is no precedent for the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold a markup while a Supreme Court nomination hearing is still ongoing. Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) then broke Committee rules and started the vote to hold over the nomination without two Democratic Senators in the hearing room.

"I'm going to make a motion to adjourn this meeting until we have completed the hearing on Amy Coney Barrett--we still have a panel before us. This is unprecedented. We have never done this before as a Committee," Durbin said. "And if we are going to honor the rules and show mutual respect, the fact is we cannot move forward without another member of the Minority present."

Video of Durbin's motion to adjourn is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNPC80_eExw&feature=youtu.be

Audio of Durbin's motion to adjourn is available here: https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/audio/listen/durbin-moves-to-adjourn-senate-judiciary-committee-markup-to-complete-hearing-on-nomination-of-judge-barrett-to-the-supreme-court

Footage of Durbin's motion to adjourn is available here for TV Stations: https://lfts.senate.gov/seos/1000/mpd/ui311020208255fbd158d56e9b838793de0da4d838