Indian-origin United States Senator Kamala Harris, Joe Biden's running mate in the presidential election, will again be in the spotlight as Democrats question a Trump nominee for the Supreme Court.
The confirmation process for US Supreme Court nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett starts today with hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The hearings are likely to be a hybrid of in-person questioning and some participation via video after three GOP senators — including two on the committee — contracted the coronavirus.
Harris plans to participate remotely from her Senate office due to coronavirus concerns, her spokesman said. Successful questioning of Barrett could boost the Biden-Harris ticket, but missteps could risk harming Democrats' chances of winning an election they now lead in national polls.
Conservative groups have been pushing hard for Barrett's confirmation and are expected to spend more than USD 10 million to drum up support for her and pressure senators to swiftly confirm Trump's third Supreme Court nominee.
Harris, a former prosecutor and state attorney general, earned high marks from Democrats for her aggressive questioning of Trump's second nominee Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the Judiciary panel, will lead the questioning of Barrett, although she may cede the spotlight to fellow California Senator Harris.