'Political theater’: Virginia Senators Kaine, Warner condemn upcoming Supreme Court vote

Sen. Kaine spoke on Senate floor against the process on Wednesday

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Virginia’s two senators united Wednesday over their concerns for the process to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner both said they will vote against Coney Barrett’s nomination for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat. A Senate vote will likely take place next week.

Both Kaine and Warner said they’re opposed to the vote happening so close to the November election, especially when Republican senators refused to consider Judge Merrick Garland for the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat in 2016.

“Despite promises made in 2016 to let the people decide, they are breaking that promise,” Kaine said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “This is illegitimate. We want them to just follow their word, but they have decided to break it.”

“This is political theater,” Warner said during a separate news conference Wednesday afternoon. “It is horribly wrong that we have one set of rules when there is a Republican president and another set of rules when there is a Democratic president.”

Kaine and Warner both worry the nomination of Coney Barrett is targeted toward repealing the Affordable Care Act. A case involving the Affordable Care Act will be heard before the Supreme Court on Nov. 10.

“My daughter is a Type 1 diabetic,” Warner said. “Although I have sufficient healthcare, I have met many families through JDRF who would not have their needs met if the ACA is reversed.”

Kaine made a speech condemning the nomination process on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon.

“We’re in a pandemic, with people dying, sick and suffering, and we’re willing to break our word, rush a Justice, and repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Kaine said during his speech. “The ACA is ‘Moby Dick’ for Republicans, and they see their chance to get the white whale.”