Ted Cruz and Dick Durbin Clash Over Absent Democrats in Amy Coney Barrett Hearing: ‘We’re In The Midst of a Covid-19 Crisis’

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) clashed during Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing after Cruz pointed out that many Democratic senators were absent from the room and thus no longer have “substantive criticism” of Barrett’s appointment.

“Let me say, first of all, the last three days of hearings have revealed very good news. They have revealed the news that Judge Barrett is going to be confirmed by this committee and by the full Senate,” declared Cruz, explaining, “With two full days of questioning, we’ve seen that our Democratic colleagues have very few questions actually to raise about Judge Barrett’s qualifications.”

“Very little of the time we’ve spent in here has concerned her record as a judge, her 20 years as a respected scholar. Instead, much of this hearing has focused on political attacks directed at President Trump,” he continued, before claiming, “They’ve largely abandoned even trying to make the case that Judge Barrett is anything other than exceptionally well qualified to serve as a justice.”

Cruz went on to note the absence of Democratic members, saying, “It is striking that as we sit here right now in this committee room there are only two Democratic senators in the room.”

“If you look at the dais, there’s chair after chair after chair that is empty. The Democratic senators are no longer even attending,” he noted. “I assume they’ll show up for their time, but it is indicative of what they are tacitly admitting, which is that they don’t have substantive criticism.”

Durbin then interrupted, asking, “Mr. Chairman, may I make a point of personal privilege?”

“We’re in the midst of a Covid-19 crisis, a pandemic, and some members are in their offices following this on television,” Durbin pointed out. “To suggest their absence here means they aren’t following or participating is incorrect.”

Cruz, however, shot back, “I would note the senator from Illinois in his personal privilege somehow omitted the fact that all but two of the Democrats were physically here yesterday and after the questioning they made the decision not to be here.”

“That’s fine, you are welcome to make that decision, but it is indicative when it comes to the time of the questioning that this side of the aisle does not have arguments against Judge Barrett that have any chance of prevailing,” he concluded.

Watch above via Fox News.