On the first day of Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings, Democratic senators highlighted the risk of Obamacare repeal.
Four days of highly political hearings. On Monday, the United States Senate began proceedings to hear Amy Coney Barrett, the federal judge appointed by Donald Trump to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. The former law professor will undoubtedly be confirmed in the post: the Republicans have the majority of the votes, despite the reluctance of the two senators Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) to validate a nomination so close to the election of the 3 November.
Even if they know they are stuck, the Democratic senators intend to use these four days to address the subjects that annoy - and which could count for the poll. More than the right to abortion, which could be jeopardized in the event of a conservative majority in the Supreme Court, Democrats have chosen to emphasize the risk of a possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act ( ACA), nicknamed Obamacare, the universal health system set up by Donald Trump's predecessor and which the latter swore to eliminate, deeming the system too expensive and poorly made. Elected officials cited testimonies from citizens whose lives could be in danger if the ACA were to disappear. This especially concerns patients with pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses, who have to pay extremely dearly if they resort to private insurance.
The Democrats' calculation could pay off three weeks before the election because, according to a poll conducted at the end of September by Morning Consult, 62% (+7 points since March) of those questioned are in favor of the ACA (85% among Democrats, 36% among Republicans) and 79% of those polled are in favor of maintaining social protection for patients with pre-existing health problems. Sensing the tide, Donald Trump has continued to hammer home in recent weeks that he is in favor of taking them into account - but has not made any proposal in this direction. "I think this hearing is a clear way to force a Supreme Court appointee who will withdraw health protection from millions of people during a deadly pandemic which has already killed more than 214,000 Americans," insisted Kamala Harris, California senator and running for vice president, spoke via video conference with an illustrated book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg prominently displayed behind her. “A clear majority of Americans want the winner of the election to fill the seat and my fellow Republicans know that. Yet they are deliberately ignoring the will of the people in their attempt to withdraw the rights and protections acquired with the ACA. ”
Democrats warn about ACA, Republicans cry discrimination
Amy Klobuchar, Democratic senator from Minnesota, attacked Republicans over their insistence on confirming the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett before the election, after refusing to audition Merrick Garland, nominated by Barack Obama in February 2016, on behalf of the proximity of his nomination to the election the following November. “This is not the country of Donald Trump. This is yours. It shouldn't be Donald Trump's judges. It should be yours, ”she told Republican voters, while Donald Trump has already been delighted to have been able to propose three names to the Supreme Court, after Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Faced with the attacks of the Democrats, the Republicans replied on a shifting ground: they cry discrimination and swear that their opponents blame Amy Coney Barrett for being Catholic and a mother of a large family - two subjects that were not discussed on Monday by Democrats, some of whom have previously raised concerns that Amy Coney Barrett will influence societal issues like the right to abortion. Republicans also recalled that Supreme Court justices were apolitical, forgetting the fact that they are chosen by the White House and confirmed by the Senate, having been carefully chosen based on their personal beliefs and their results in the courts of the country, and that they have a crucial role because every law that can be challenged before them has federal value, like the legalization of same-sex marriage. Amy Coney Barrett herself held this line: “The political decisions and value judgments of government must emanate from the political branches, elected by, and accountable to the people. The public should not expect the courts to do this, and the courts should not try. I think Americans of all stripes deserve an independent Supreme Court that interprets our Constitution and our laws the way they are written. And I think thatI can serve my country by playing this role, ”she said.
The magistrate spoke little on Monday, leaving the senators to make their opening remarks, but she will have to answer their questions from this Tuesday.