By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
The confirmation battle over President Donald Trump’s nomination of conservative Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court will depend on pressure from voters concerned about issues of health care and abortion, said Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.
“I think the only thing that will stop it is people in state with Republican senators who are up for election understanding that this has a lot to do with the security of their health care and the security of Roe versus Wade, that those are two targets that the Republican party has specifically identified,” said Whitehouse, a Democrat and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is expected to vote this week on the Barrett nomination.
Senate leaders say they have the votes in both the committee and full Senate to confirm Barrett to succeed the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month.
Whitehouse believes there are many voters who want to see the Barrett nomination either delayed until after the November 3 election, or withdrawn.
“It’s definitely gotten through. The question is does it create enough counter pressure to have two more Republican senators vote no or vote to postpone,” Whitehouse said.
