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Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court hearings lacked the drama that Brett Kavanaugh's proceedings had. Here's why. - USA TODAY
Oct 17, 2020 3 mins, 3 secs

Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearings lacked the drama of Brett Kavanaugh's proceedings.

Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein of California hugged Republican Senator Lindsey Graham following Judge Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing on Thursday.

WASHINGTON – The fighting in Congress over Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation to the Supreme Court started even before she was nominated.

Replacing Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon on the court, with Barrett, a staunch conservative, was gearing up to be a fight for the ages, with some speculating her nomination could lead to even more contentious proceedings than the hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which were nearly derailed in 2018 after sexual assault allegations.  .

But instead, the hearings in the Senate Judiciary Committee were largely drama-free, leaving Barrett unscathed and on track to be confirmed by the full Senate by the end of October.

“It was eerily smooth,” said Mike Davis, a former clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch who worked as the top counsel for nominations on the Senate Judiciary Committee during Kavanaugh’s nomination.

More: Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett moves closer to Senate confirmation as hearing end.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the full Senate, which gets final say on Barrett's confirmation likely later this month.

Since Barrett's nomination requires a simple majority of votes in each body, as long as Republicans vote together in support of the conservative justice, there's little Democrats can do to stop her nomination from moving forward. .

While speaking about the need for tougher ethics and financial reporting requirements for Supreme Court justices, he told Barrett, "Take a look at that when you get up there." .

More: Top Senate Judiciary Democrat Feinstein says she doesn't 'have the power' to block Trump's Supreme Court nominee.

More: Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett strives to show independence from White House, Republicans.

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett returned to Capitol Hill for a third day of confirmation hearings, during which she was called "unashamedly pro-life" by Sen.

Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican who served on the Senate Judiciary Committee, into an elevator and told him they were sexual assault survivors, pleading with Flake to vote against Kavanaugh’s confirmation

More: Pandemic, politics invade Senate confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett

Pro and Anti-Amy Coney Barrett protesters gather before the Supreme Court Tuesday to have their voices heard on her nomination

On Thursday — the last day of Barrett's hearings — Capitol Police said 27 people were arrested, fewer than half the 69 people who were arrested on the last day of the Kavanaugh hearings

More: Trump and 2 senators' positive COVID-19 tests spark worries over Amy Coney Barrett confirmation, but GOP moving forward anyway

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has told a Senate panel that his family and his name "have been totally and permanently destroyed." (Sept. 27)

Tensions reached a boiling point multiple times during the Kavanaugh hearings, with senators raising their voices as Kavanaugh sat with a stern face, sometimes even pushing back quite forcefully against Democratic inquiries.  

10 ways the Supreme Court could change

Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is batting back questions on abortion, election law and other issues

Barrett told the committee that while her faith “was important" to her and her family, she would only apply the law to the cases that would come before her as a Supreme Court justice should she be confirmed

Gregg Nunziatta, a former nominations counsel for Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted how both parties had the elections in mind and were “more coordinated and more disciplined” than in past cycles.  

Kamala Harris discusses risks to American's rights at Judge Barrett's Supreme Court confirmation hearing

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