Pelosi Says Coney Barrett’s Religion ‘Doesn’t Matter,’ Pins Focus On Health Care

Topline

After many Republicans pre-emptively alleged anti-Catholic bias in the wake of Catholic Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s selection as Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday suggested the tone of the debate will focus on health care rather than Barrett’s faith.

Key Facts

The conversation has centered around comments by Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) during Barrett’s confirmation hearings for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in which she told Barrett “the dogma lives loudly within you.”

Republicans have warned Democrats of repeating Feinstein’s line of questioning, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sending a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) calling on Senate Democrats to refrain from “anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, anti-faith vitriol in the hearings to come.”

Immediate reactions to Barrett’s selection from both Democratic senators and liberal judicial advocacy groups made no mention of her faith, however, instead labeling her selection as a threat to the ACA, landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade and LGBT rights, and slamming Republicans for expediting her nomination ahead of the election.

Pelosi echoed on CNN’s State of the Union that Democrats’ strategy would focus primarily on health care and making Barrett’s seemingly inevitable confirmation a referendum on Trump and Republicans in the election, just 37 days from now.

Asked by host Jake Tapper if it would be appropriate for Democratic senators to question Barrett’s faith, Pelosi, a Catholic, said “it’s appropriate for them to ask how faithful she would be to the constitution” and Supreme Court precedent on the ACA, but that her personal faith “doesn’t matter.”

Crucial Quote

Pelosi warned of disastrous electoral consequences for Republicans if they successfully confirmed Barrett, who she casted as tantamount to repealing the Affordable Care Act. “They will be seeing elections that look exactly like 2018 over and over again,” Pelosi said.

Big Number

56%. That’s the percent of voters in a New York Times/Siena Research poll released Sunday who believe the winner of the election should choose the next Supreme Court Justice. 50% said Biden would do a better job of picking a justice – compared to 43% for Trump – while 57% said they support the ACA.

What To Watch For

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham announced Saturday that hearings will begin with opening statements on Oct. 12, with questioning and testimony from “those who know Judge Barrett the best and legal experts” to follow for the next 2-3 days. Voting is expected to start by shortly after.


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