The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote Monday afternoon or evening on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett as an associate justice to the Supreme Court.
Leading up to that, senators have taken turns making speeches about Barrett and the process leading to her confirmation before a mostly empty Senate chamber.
Monday morning Washington Democrat Patty Murray criticized Republican leaders for prioritizing a vote on Barrett’s confirmation, instead of working to approve a pandemic relief bill. She also complained that Barrett’s ascension to the Supreme Court could lead to the overturn of the Affordable Care Act.
“Half the country could be charged more for health insurance just because they’re a woman. Seniors could face thousands more in health care costs with the return of the age tax and the Medicare donut hole. People with disabilities’ lives could be upended if they lose access to home and community-based services that help them live independent lives," Murray said.
Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell criticized Republicans for trying to overturn Roe v. Wade, which she calls settled law. She says a majority of Americans support a woman’s right to choose and said any attempt to remove that right would go against Washington state law. In 1991, voters narrowly approved a ballot measure that gives them the right to an abortion.