Democratic and Republican lawmakers along with other leading political figures reacted to President Trump's Saturday afternoon nomination of federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.
What they're saying: "President Trump could not have made a better decision," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. "Judge Amy Coney Barrett is an exceptionally impressive jurist and an exceedingly well-qualified nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States."
- In speaking after Trump announced her as the nominee Barrett said she will be "mindful" of those who came before her on the court if confirmed.
Democrats' uniform response to the nomination surrounded health care — and the argument that Barrett's confirmation could gut the Affordable Care Act and access to coverage....
- Joe Biden: "Election Day is just weeks away, and millions of Americans are already voting because the stakes in this election could not be higher. They feel the urgency of this choice — an urgency made all the more acute by what’s at stake at the U.S. Supreme Court."
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “For four years, President Trump has tried to crush the Affordable Care Act in the Congress and the Courts. This nomination threatens the destruction of life-saving protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions together with every other benefit and protection of the Affordable Care Act."
- Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.): “As a U.S. Senator and member of the Judiciary Committee, I have a duty to ensure that a Supreme Court nominee will uphold the law and has a demonstrated commitment to equal justice. ... The devastating