Democrat says ‘hell no’ when asked for her vote on Amy Coney Barrett

Senator makes a dramatic point with her vote after calling on Americans to ‘vote out Republicans’ who supported the president’s third Supreme Court nomination

After slamming Republicans for pushing through a Supreme Court nominee just weeks before Election Day, Senator Mazie Hirono cast her vote against the new Justice Amy Coney Barrett with a loud “hell no” on the senate floor.

The Hawaii Democrat walked to the senate floor just before 8:00 p.m. on Monday night following a contentious confirmation process that received extensive criticism for taking place as millions of Americans were casting ballots for the next president of the United States.

Appearing visibly frustrated with the ordeal, Ms Hirono gave a thumbs down and said “hell no” when asked for her vote on whether to confirm Justice Barrett, President Donald Trump’s third appointment to the nation’s highest court, who is seen as a conservative stalwart.

All but one GOP senator voted to confirm the new justice.

Senator Susan Collin had already indicated she would vote against Justice Barrett, and said in a statement on Monday night that her decision was not based on the judge’s qualifications, writing: “Because this vote is occurring prior to the election, I will vote against the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. To be clear, my vote does not reflect any conclusion that I have reached about Judge Barrett's qualifications to serve on the Supreme Court."

Ms Hirono has previously called on Americans to “vote out Republicans” who helped confirm Justice Barrett.

“I think the people who are voting … they know what’s at stake,” she said in an interview with MSNBC during the weekend. “I am very hopeful that those voters are going to hold their Republican senators responsible for putting this person on the court who will be taking away their health care for over 100 million people with pre-existing conditions. There’s a lot at stake.”

Ms Hirono and other Democrats have warned the justice’s confirmation to the court would reshape its balance for generations, saying everything from women’s reproductive rights to marriage equality could be on the line.

The senator admonished Justice Barrett during her confirmation hearings for using the term “sexual preference” when referring to the LGBTQ+ community, calling the term “offensive” and “outdated”.

“It is used by the anti-LGBTQ activists to suggest that sexual orientation is a choice. It is not,” she told the judge. “Sexual orientation is a key part of a person's identity... So if it is your view that sexual orientation is merely a 'preference,' as you noted, then the LGBTQ community should be rightly concerned whether you will uphold their constitutional right to marry."