President Trump Nominates Judge Amy Coney Barrett For Supreme Court Job, Seeks Speedy Nomination Process

The United States President Donald Trump has nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court job, and has pleaded with the Republicans to speed up the nomination process.

President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to skip the four-day Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett and approve his nominee quickly so they could work on approving a stimulus package instead.

“The Republicans are giving the Democrats a great deal of time, which is not mandated, to make their self-serving statements relative to our great new future Supreme Court Justice,” he wrote on Twitter.

“Personally, I would pull back, approve, and go for stimulus for the people!!” he said.

The Senate Judiciary Committee started the confirmation hearings yesterday for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s nominee for the high court. If confirmed towards the end of October, Barrett would lock in a 6-3 conservative majority on the Supreme Court.

Democrats have been critical of the proceedings because of the rapid timetable, and they’ve also argued it’s coming at the expense of a federal rescue package. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said in his opening remarks “we shouldn’t spending time on this when we are doing absolutely nothing to pass a much-needed Covid bill.”

Trump’s remarks come after the White House increased its stimulus offer to $1.8 trillion on Friday, its largest one yet during a turbulent stretch of negotiations with Democrats. The president revived the talks after abruptly ending them last week.

But Senate Republicans and Democrats blasted the White House proposal. Republicans said the price tag was too costly and criticized several measures.

Meanwhile, Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it “wholly insufficient” in a letter to colleagues on Sunday, laying out concerns about health funding and testing.

She’s also taken issue with the administration’s plan on federal funding for state and local aid, unemployment insurance, and tax credits for families and low-income individuals.