The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Thursday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to a full Senate vote, CNN reports.
The committee voted 12-0 with all 10 Democrats on the panel boycotting the vote.
Democrats set up photos of people who stand to lose their health care if the Supreme Court overturns Obamacare in their seats.
"This has been a sham process from the beginning," the committee’s Democrats in a statement. "Amidst a global pandemic and ongoing election, Republicans are rushing to confirm a Supreme Court Justice to take away health care from millions and execute the extreme and deeply unpopular agenda that they've been unable to get through Congress."
GOP moves forward without Dems:
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham dismissed the Democratic boycott and moved ahead with the vote.
"Judge Amy Coney Barrett is one of the most highly qualified people to ever be nominated to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court," Graham said in a statement. "She will faithfully apply the law to the facts without personal agenda and fully understands the difference between an impartial judge and a political activist."
Democrats said Graham violated a Judiciary rule that says at least two members of the minority party must be present "for the purpose of transacting business."
Republicans argued that a superseding Senate rule says that only a majority of the committee needs to be present.
ACB a done deal:
Barrett is expected to be confirmed as early as Monday down a mostly party-line vote.
Last week, Republicans voted down a motion from Democrats to indefinitely postpone the confirmation proceedings.
McConnell vowed that the Senate would confirm Barrett by the end of the month.
"We have the votes," he said.
