Which Democrats Are Meeting With Amy Coney Barrett, and Which Are Refusing?

Meetings with Supreme Court nominee Amy Comey Barrett begin on Tuesday, with President Donald Trump's pick for the seat left vacant by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg set to see several Republicans—but few Democrats.

Four Democrats have confirmed that they will not meet with Barrett as of Tuesday, while several others have confirmed they will.

Democrats have urged the Republican-controlled Senate to wait until after the election to confirm a Supreme Court nominee.

Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer confirmed on Tuesday numerous media reports stating that he would not meet with Trump's nominee, ahead the confirmation hearings set to start on October 12.

"I am not going to meet with Judge Barrett. Why would I meet with a nominee of such an illegitimate process and one who is determined to get rid of the Affordable Care Act?," the New York senator tweeted.

In a statement emailed to Newsweek on Sunday, Schumer vowed to "strongly oppose" Barrett's nomination, warning that Americans' health care and reproductive and LGTBQ rights were on the line.

Kirsten Gillibrand

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said in a tweet Sunday afternoon that she would not partake in the long-standing tradition of informal meetings with the nominee.

"I will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett. This nomination process is illegitimate. I refuse to participate in the further degradation of our democracy and our judiciary," the New York senator said.

Richard Blumenthal

Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said: "I will oppose the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, as I would any nominee proposed as part of this illegitimate sham process, barely one month before an election as Americans are already casting their votes. Americans deserve a voice in this hugely consequential decision.

"I will refuse to treat this process as legitimate & will not meet with Judge Amy Coney Barrett," he said, concluding his explanation on Twitter on Friday on why he would not support the nomination.

Mazie Hirono

Mazie Hirono, the Hawaii senator, said of Barrett's nomination on Twitter: "I oppose her nomination and will fight to deny her a lifetime position on the United States Supreme Court, and in doing so, will tell the American people the danger she poses to hard-won rights".

She confirmed on an interview with CNN that she would question the judge during official hearings, but would not meet her separately as per the tradition.

There are three Democrats who have openly said that they would meet with the SCOTUS nominee: Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, New Jersey's Corey Booker and Chris Coons from Delaware.

Cory Booker

On Sunday, the former Democrat presidential nominee from New Jersey confirmed on an interview with MSNBC, saying that he had the intention of having a "good, informed" dialogue with Barrett, despite opposing her nomination.

Booker insisted on Friday when Barrett was officially nominated: "There should be no confirmation vote until after the inauguration. Period." He also called the process to fill the Supreme Court seat "rushed, partisan."

Dick Durbin

Durbin stated in an interview with CNN that he planned to establish "some sort of contact, safe contact for both the nominee, myself and my staff in a courtesy manner" and attend the confirmation hearing.

"We're 38 days from Election Day & 45 days away from the Supreme Court taking up the case that will decide whether the Affordable Care Act survives. Pres. Trump & Majority Leader McConnell want to rush Judge Barrett's nomination through the Senate before those two dates arrive," the Illinois senator said when Barrett was nominated.

Chris Coons

The Senator from Delaware shared similar concerns to his counterpart from Illinois, saying that he would meet with the judge in person or by phone. He added that he planned to "press her on her previous statements of the Affordable Care Act" in an interview with CBS News.

When Barrett was officially put forward as a nominee, Coons said he was "deeply concerned" at the Republicans' decision to move forward with the process, "against the precedent that they set in 2016, will do lasting damage to the Supreme Court, the Senate, and our country as a whole".

Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, said on Monday she expected to meet Barrett, but that no plans had been made.

"I'm sure that's going to happen, we'll see how it works out. I haven't made a plan one way or another," she told reporters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Meanwhile, on the GOP side, Barrett is expected to have some time with a number of Republican senators.

Besides meeting with McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham on Tuesday afternoon, she is also going to meet Utah Senator Mike Lee, Idaho Senator Mike Crapo, Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse and Missouri Senator Josh Hawley in the coming days.

Barrett's confirmation hearings in the Judiciary Committee will start on October 12, and after that day of introduction, there will be two days of questioning and a review of the committee's recommendation would begin October 15.

Graham expects to have the committee approve Barrett by October 22, leading to a full Senate vote before the end of October.