Chuck Schumer demands testing every day during Supreme Court confirmation hearings

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer is calling for Republicans to implement a rigorous COVID-19 testing policy if they move ahead with Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings this month.

With at least three Republican senators testing positive for the coronavirus, Mr. Schumer has called for a delay to Judge Barrett’s confirmation hearings, scheduled for the week of Oct. 12.

“The Republican leadership has truly lost touch with reality if it’s contemplating marching COVID-stricken members to the Senate to rush through a Supreme Court nominee who could strip health care from 20 million Americans,” the New York Democrat said in a statement on Monday.

“Instead of engaging in continuously more absurd and dangerous behavior, Chairman Graham should halt this already illegitimate nomination process, and if he refuses, he must put into place a thorough testing procedure that is in accordance with CDC best practices before hearings can take place.”

Mr. Schumer said Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham should require that every senator and their staffers joining them at the hearing need to test negative for COVID-19 for at least two consecutive days, undergo quarantine and continue to test every day during the hearings.

He argued that not implementing this system would be “intentionally reckless.”

Democrats, including the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, have been calling for a delay on the confirmation hearings since Friday as Congress rapidly sought to determine how many members could have been exposed to the coronavirus after President Trump tested positive.

Mr. Graham, South Carolina Republican, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, have both said they intend to stick to the schedule.

“Just spoke with President Trump and he sounds terrific — very engaged and ready to get back to work!” Mr. Graham tweeted Monday. “He’s also very excited about Judge Amy Coney Barrett being confirmed to the Supreme Court and focused on a good deal to help stimulate the economy.”