Harris, fellow Democrats target Trump Supreme Court nominee Barrett on Obamacare

Democratic senators including vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris on Monday (Oct 12) painted President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as a threat to the Obamacare healthcare law throughout a deadly pandemic and denounced the Republican drive to approve her prior to the Nov 3 US election.

As the Senate Judiciary Committee started its four-day confirmation hearing for Barrett, Democrats voiced their opposition despite the fact that they have little hope of derailing her nomination in the Republican-led Senate.

Republican senators praised Barrett, an appellate court judge and a popular of religious conservatives, as well qualified for life job on the high court and a worthy successor to the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Barrett wore a black protective face mask and sat at a table with bottles of water, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes at your fingertips as senators - some within the room plus some on video links because of COVID-19 concerns - made opening statements. 

Barrett, who had about with the coronavirus earlier in the entire year, removed her mask when she was sworn in to deliver her own opening statement.

"I believe Americans of most backgrounds deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and laws because they are written," Barrett said, with her husband and six of her seven children sitting behind her as she read from prepared remarks that were made public on Sunday.

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Barrett's confirmation would give the court a 6-3 conservative majority that could roll back abortion rights, expand religious and gun rights, and uphold Republican-backed voting restrictions, among other issues.

Nonetheless, it was the fate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA), Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement which has enabled an incredible number of Americans to obtain medical coverage, which was the focus of the Democrats. Barrett has criticized a 2012 Supreme Court ruling authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts that upheld Obamacare.

Harris, the running mate of Trump's Democratic election opponent Joe Biden, said the hearing must have been postponed because of COVID-19 worries and called the confirmation process so near an election rushed and illegitimate.

"I do believe this hearing is a clear try to jam through a Supreme Court nominee who will eliminate healthcare from millions of men and women during a deadly pandemic which has already killed more than 214,000 Americans," Harris said, speaking with a video link.

"A clear most Americans want whoever wins the election to fill this seat, and my Republican colleagues understand that. Yet they are deliberately defying the will of the persons in their try to roll back the rights and protections provided beneath the Affordable Care Act," Harris said.

Republican efforts to repeal Obamacare in Congress have failed.

Barrett could possibly be confirmed in time to participate in a case to be argued on Nov 10 where Trump and Republican-led states are seeking to invalidate Obamacare. Some legal professionals doubt the justices, even with Barrett confirmed, would strike down Obamacare.

Democrats displayed posters of patients who could lose their medical coverage if Obamacare is invalidated, with senators recounting their individual stories. Obamacare bars insurance companies from denying coverage to persons with pre-existing medical ailments.

Barrett will face questioning from senators on Tuesday and Wednesday in a hearing that sets the stage for a complete Senate vote by the finish of October on confirming her. Republicans have a 53-47 majority so Barrett's confirmation seems almost certain.

'WORLD IS WATCHING'

Republican Senator Ted Cruz said the Democratic give attention to healthcare and other policy issues showed these were not contesting Barrett's qualifications to serve as a justice.

Republican committee Chairman Lindsey Graham implored senators to keep carefully the hearing respectful, saying, "Let's remember, the world is watching."

"This is most likely not about persuading each other unless something really dramatic happens. All Republicans will vote yes and all Democrats will vote no," Graham said.

Graham defended the Republicans' approach whilst acknowledging that four years earlier they had refused to do something on Obama's nominee to fill a Supreme Court vacancy since it was an election year. There is nothing unconstitutional about proceeding now, Graham said.

Senator Patrick Leahy condemned the "mad rush" to fill the vacancy, accusing Republicans of trying to carefully turn the courts into "an arm of the far-right and the Republican Party".

Republican Senator Mike Lee personally attended the hearing nine days after revealing he previously tested positive for COVID-19.

More than 20 persons were arrested at the Supreme Court and Senate office buildings amid demonstrations for and against Barrett.

Christian conservative activists hope the court will overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide. Barrett is a devout Catholic who has expressed opposition to abortion.

Democratic Senator Cory Booker said, "Senate Republicans have found a nominee in Judge Barrett who they know can do what they couldn't do - subvert the will of the American persons and overturn Roe v Wade."

Republicans sought to portray the Democrats as attacking Barrett on religious grounds, although Democrats steered free from doing so.

Talking with reporters in Delaware, Biden, who is Catholic, said Barrett's Catholic faith should be off-limits.

"This nominee said she really wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. The president really wants to remove the Affordable Care Act," Biden said. "Let's keep our eye on your golf ball."