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OnPolitics: Barrett's confirmation process kicks off

Louie Villalobos   | Paste BN

The Senate Judiciary Committee closed out the first day of federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing Monday with the result all but preordained.

But over the next two days, Barrett appears certain to face tough questions in her quest to succeed the late liberal Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

"This is a vacancy that occurred through the tragic loss of a great woman, and we're going to fill that vacancy with another great woman," Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the panel’s chairman, said. And in the end, he acknowledged, "All Republicans will vote yes, and all Democrats will vote no.” 

With that in mind, Democrats decided not to mount personal attacks against Barrett, a 48-year-old Notre Dame Law School professor from Indiana who President Donald Trump nominated just 16 days ago. She appeared before the panel wearing a black mask, her husband and six of her seven children behind her.

What happens tomorrow? 

Senators are set to question Barrett as the second day of the planned four days of confirmation hearings take place on Capitol Hill. 

More: How we got here: The battle over Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court, recapped

Every senator will get to question Barrett for a half-hour, and the nominee is sure to face tough questions as she moves through the process to succeed Ginsburg. Graham warned Monday of a "long, contentious week" ahead of the lawmakers.  

What else is going on? 

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