Washington, Oct 22 (AFP/APP):The Senate Judiciary Committee pushed through US President Donald Trump’s conservative pick for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, Thursday as Democrats boycotted the vote saying it was too close to the November 3 election. The unanimous vote, with all Democrats absent, sets the stage for full Senate approval at the beginning of next week on Barrett, who will tilt the high court firmly to the right. On Wednesday Democrats labelled the nomination process a “sham” that broke former Republican promises to never vote on a Supreme Court nominee so close to a presidential election. “My Democratic Senate colleagues and I boycotted the Supreme Court nominee committee vote today,” Senator Kamala Harris, a committee member who is the Democratic nominee for vice president, said. “Let’s be clear: this nomination process is a sham and shows how Republicans will stop at nothing to strip health care from millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions,” she said, referring to Republican efforts to have the Supreme Court strike down a popular national health care program. But Republican committee chairman Lindsey Graham dismissed their action, and, taking advantage of their absence, moved up the vote by almost four hours. “That was their … Continue reading Senate committee approves Trump court nominee as Democrats boycott