Senate Panel Sets Vote Date on Barrett

The GOP is moving quickly in its plans to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, with the Senate Judiciary Committee officially setting a vote date of Oct. 22 for the panel, Politico reports. That would keep the Republican lawmakers' goal on track to have Barrett confirmed on the Senate floor before the Nov. 3 election. It's expected that Barrett will be easily greenlit to replace late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg once the nomination reaches that point in the process, as there aren't enough Democrat votes to block Barrett's confirmation.

Per NBC News, the fourth and last day of Barrett's confirmation hearings takes place Thursday, starting with a business meeting in which Barrett's nomination will be discussed. The last two days involved intense questioning of Barrett, who often declined to answer questions on how she would rule on particular cases, saying she wanted to keep an open mind. Democrats fear her conservative views will lead her to vote to tear down the Affordable Care Act and to overturn Roe v. Wade. Barrett won't be testifying on Thursday: Instead, legal experts and advocates invited by both Democrats and the GOP will speak as witnesses on the future of a Supreme Court with Barrett on the bench. (More Amy Coney Barrett stories.)