Tipsheet

Here Are 21 Instances Where COVID Wasn't a Concern for Senate Judiciary Dems

Democrats, particularly those that sit on the Senate Judiciary Committee, are running with this wild notion that holding in-person hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation is not safe because of the Wuhan coronavirus. According to majority staffers for the Committee, the "hearing will be in accordance with the Office of Attending Physician and Senate rules."

Despite having precautions in place, like social distancing and the ability to test for the virus, and the ability to participate virtually, Senate Democrats are still wanting Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to postpone the hearing until after the election.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) has participated in a majority of the hearings in-person and plans to do so for Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation, although he objects to it.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said the hearing should be put on hold because multiple Sens. have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. But Klobuchar was the very person who helped implement these virtual hearings so that business as usual could continue without the potential for exposure.

If Democrats were so worried about the WuFlu, why did a number of them – including Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) – attend a majority of the hearings in-person? If Democrats opposed virtual hearings, why did quite a few, like Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), participate over the last few months?

Here's who showed up to the hearings. Democrats who attended in-person are in bold.

May 6: Full Committee Hearing on the Nomination of Justin Walker to be US Circuit Judge for the District Of Columbia 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Durbin, Cornyn, Lee, Cruz, Hawley, Coons, Blumenthal, Ernst, Kennedy, Booker, Paul
  • Virtual: Leahy, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Tillis, Hirono, Blackburn

May 12: Full Committee Hearing on Legal Liability During the New Coronavirus

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Durbin, Lee, Hawley, Cruz, Coons, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Leahy, Tillis, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Hirono, Harris, Witness

May 20: Full Committee Hearing on the Nomination of Cory Wilson to be US Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Durbin, Lee, Cruz, Coons, Hawley, Ernst, Blumenthal, Kennedy, Wicker, Hyde-Smith
  • Virtual: Whitehouse, Blackburn, Booker, Hirono

June 2: Full Committee Hearing on Examining Best Practices for Incarceration and Detention During COVID-19 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Durbin, Coons, Blumenthal, Grassley, Hawley, Cruz, Booker, Harris, Lee
  • Virtual: Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Tillis, Hirono, Multiple Witnesses

June 2: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Hearing on Is the DMCA’s Notice-and-Takedown System Working in the 21st Century? 

  • In person: Tillis, Coons, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses

June 3: Full Committee Hearing on Crossfire Hurricane Investigation Oversight 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Lee, Whitehouse, Cruz, Klobuchar, Hawley, Coons, Tillis, Blumenthal, Ernst, Crapo, Booker, Kennedy, Blackburn
  • Virtual: Hirono

June 9: Full Committee Hearing on COVID-19 Fraud: Law Enforcement’s Response to Those Exploiting the Pandemic 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Durbin, Tillis, Whitehouse, Hawley, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Klobuchar, Blackburn, Hirono, Booker

June 16: Full Committee Hearing on Police Use of Force and Community Relations 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Booker, Harris, Klobuchar, Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Lee, Whitehouse, Hawley, Hirono, Cruz, Tillis, Blumenthal, Ernst, Crapo, Kennedy
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses, Blackburn

June 17: Full Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations

  • In person: Blackburn, Feinstein, Johnson, Kennedy, Blumenthal, Hawley
  • Virtual: Toomey, Casey, Multiple Nominees, Tillis

June 23: Full Committee Hearing on The Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Coronavirus, and Addressing China’s Culpability 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Coons, Cornyn, Whitehouse, Lee, Blumenthal, Cruz, Booker, Ernst
  • Virtual: Witness, Hirono, Hawley, Blackburn

June 24: Full Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations 

  • In person: Kaine, Durbin, Kennedy, Hawley, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Multiple Nominees, Hirono

June 30: The Judicial Conference’s Recommendation for More Judgeships 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Coons, Crapo, Hawley, Blumenthal, Whitehouse
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses, Hirono, Booker

July 22: Full Committee Protecting the Integrity of College Athletics

  • In person: Graham, Blumenthal, Booker, Sasse, Lee, Hawley
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses

July 28: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Hearing on How Does the DMCA Contemplate Limitations and Exceptions Like Fair Use? 

  • In person: Tillis, Coons
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses

July 29: Full Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations 

  • In person: Sasse, Feinstein, Roberts, Blumenthal, Hawley
  • Virtual: Multiple Nominees, Portman, Brown, Hirono, Blackburn

Aug. 4: Subcommittee on the Constitution Hearing on The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence 

  • In person: Cruz, Hirono, Merkley, Graham, Durbin, Lee, Whitehouse, Coons, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Wyden, Blackburn, Multiple Witnesses

Aug. 5: Full Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 2 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Grassley, Leahy, Cornyn, Durbin, Lee, Whitehouse, Hawley, Tillis, Coons, Kennedy, Blumenthal, Cruz
  • Virtual: Witness, Klobuchar, Hirono, Blackburn, Booker

Sept. 9: Full Committee Hearing on Judicial Nominations 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Lee, Blumenthal, Cruz, Durbin, Hawley
  • Virtual: Multiple Nominees, Cassidy, Hirono

Sept. 15: Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Holds Hearing on Stacking the Tech: Has Google harmed competition in online advertising? 

  • In person: Lee, Klobuchar, Hawley, Blumenthal, Cruz
  • Virtual: Witness, Blackburn

Sept. 16: Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Holds Hearing on Are Reforms to Section 1201 Needed and Warranted? 

  • In person: Tillis, Coons, Blumenthal
  • Virtual: Multiple Witnesses

Sept. 30: Full Committee Hearing on Oversight of the Crossfire Hurricane Investigation: Day 3 

  • In person: Graham, Feinstein, Cornyn, Durbin, Lee, Whitehouse, Cruz, Klobuchar, Sasse, Coons, Hawley, Blumenthal, Tillis, Hirono, Ernst, Booker, Kennedy, Blackburn
  • Virtual: Witness, Leahy

Which is it, Democrats? Are in-person hearings a terrible idea across the board and only virtual hearings should take place during the coronavirus? Or are in-person hearings the only way to conduct business and everything should be paused? 

You can't have it both ways.