Live from Music Row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Senior Communications Advisor and Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to WH Chief of Staff Ben Williamson to the newsmaker line to weigh in on when Amy Coney-Barrett will be confirmed as the next Supreme Court Justice.
Leahy: We are joined now by Ben Williamson. Ben is the Communications Advisor to the Chief of Staff of the President, Mark Meadows. Ben, we have a big week coming up. The confirmation hearings for the vote on Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to be a Supreme Court Justice. Welcome to the Tennessee Star Report, Ben.
Williamson: Big week indeed Michael. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it.
Leahy: So walk us through what’s going to happen in Washington on Thursday. I guess the Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing or holding a vote on whether to move the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court forward.
Williamson: Yes. So we had a great week of hearings last week. Judge Barrett made her case for the Senate Judiciary Committee, answered all of their questions, walked through her resume, her qualifications, legal precedent. Made her case before that committee. Now, they will vote to confirm her on October 22nd, which I believe is Thursday.
Leahy: Thursday the day of the debate. We’ve got lots going on that night here in Nashville. The president and former Vice President Joe Biden will be debating. We think.
Williamson: It won’t be the first time the debate commission has changed the rules.
Leahy: So yeah, so now that the Judiciary Committee what is 13 Republicans 12 Democrats, is that right?
Williamson: I think it’s 13 and 11.
Leahy: Thirteen and 11. Okay. Thanks for that correction.
Williamson: No, no, you’re fine. We have a two-point advantage there and we expect we expect her to be confirmed after the committee. And then once that happens we have a few days and then leader McConnell will put her name on the floor for a full confirmation vote. And we expect that to happen about Monday or Tuesday.
Leahy: Okay. So now it’s Monday, which is the 26th. So now I don’t think there’s any drama involved in the vote coming out of the Judiciary Committee. The question is I think all 13 Republicans are going to vote for confirmation. Any of the 11 Democrats going to vote for confirmation?
Williamson: You know, we’ve learned not to count on the Democrat vote, my friend. I will say that as gently as I can. We’re not expecting any Democrats to come across the aisle. Although I will say Amy Coney Barrett, if anyone deserves a bipartisan vote, it would be her. She was outstanding in her hearing. She did a tremendous job.
She’s the exact kind of not only judge but the exact kind of person that you want on the Supreme Court. If anyone deserves to be confirmed on a bipartisan basis with the 80s and 90s in the vote it’s her. But we don’t expect any Democrats to come across the aisle. They’ve made it quite clear that they’re going to force Republicans to do this on their own.
Leahy: Her answers were I think very recent and measured. I think the only objection that I’ve heard from Democrats is that well, back in 2016 when Merrick Garland was nominated to replace Antonin Scalia who passed away. Basically, the Republican majority that was there at that time, Mitch McConnell still Majority Leader, said well look. The people voted. And they said, you know, the Senate now has the authority to either take it up or not take it up. We’re not going to take it up. That’s it. Is there any other objection to her nomination other than that?
Williamson: There really isn’t. I mean her resume speaks for itself. She’s an outstanding judge and an outstanding person. She’s almost universally in fact, I think universally recommended by her peers. You talk to people that she served with at Notre Dame law school that she served with on the bench. The federal bench or otherwise. I mean, they all universally recommend her.
They give glowing reviews about the type of judge and intellect and the kind of person that she is. This is a clear choice. I mean, it was an easy choice for the president when you really think about it, because of the kind of judge that Amy Coney Barrett is. And so it was very clear early on that Democrats really weren’t going to have a ton of objections about her resume and her qualifications because they are so strong.
(Inaudible talk) and much of that involved Merrick Garland. I do want to say really quick, just for your listeners for the Merrick Garland thing for people that may be confused or may not know the context. Just remember, you got to go all the way back to 1888 for the last time the Senate approved a Supreme Court nomination when the Senate and the president were of different parties. There’s been 29.
Leahy: In an election year.
Williamson: Yeah it was an election year, correct. When when the Senate approved a presidential nomination when the president and Senate were of a different political party in an election year there’s been 29 times that a nomination was (Inaudible talk) as spent in you got to go all the way back to 1888, when the Senate did that. So that really wasn’t abnormal that Mitch McConnell and the Republicans did. It was upholding precedent. And the American people spoke in 2016, they elected Donald Trump and that’s why we are about to have Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
Leahy: Then just walk us through what happens next. I had read that Majority Leader McConnell was actually going to submit the confirmation vote before the floor of the Senate on this coming Friday. Now it looks like you’re saying it’s probably going to be Monday. Just why what are the steps in that process? And what are the Democrats going to do to kind of stop that process?
Williamson: Well, we’re certainly prepared for them to pull out every rule of the book now. I wish I was more of an expert in Senate procedures and some of the tricks that they might be able to pull. I know that you have to file cloture as leader McConnell is planning to do. He may do it as soon as Friday. I don’t want to get ahead of their office in terms of what exactly they want to do.
But we’re expecting it to go into the weekend for Democrats to force series of votes and to filibuster as long as they’re able to before leader McConnell is able to break that and move to a 50 vote threshold. Which we expect to be about Monday. So I mean certainly the sooner the better. But we do expect, you know, if history’s any indication Democrats’ are going to try and delay this as long as they can.
Leahy: What’s your best guess as to the day next week that the Senate will vote to confirm Judge Barrett?
Williamson: Well, if I had to make a safe conservative guess I would say Tuesday. I think Monday is probably the best bet for your money. But I like to Lean on the safe side and not get my hopes up. my old boss Mark Meadows that there are two ways things happen in Congress. Slow and never. This one is fortunately slow and not never. But I like to lean on the slow side whenever I’m guessing what Congress is going to vote on something.
Leahy: Ben, so tell us exactly what you do in the White House. You’re a good senior Communications advisor. Are you on the staff of Chief of Staff Mark Meadows? Do you work for the White House? Tell us about how you how long you’ve been there. How did you get to the White House?
Williamson: Sure, so I do both I work for the Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. I came over with him actually at the beginning of March when the President picked him for the job. I’ve been with him since he was in Congress for about six years. So I came over with him to the White House. And then I also work in the communications and press office. So I work with Kayleigh McEnany and Alyssa Farah.
Leahy: Kayleigh McEnany. What a great press secretary she is.
Williamson: Oh, she’s tremendous. As gifted as they come. And more importantly the exact kind of person you want in a position like that. She’s a tremendous person a real fighter and very gifted at what she does.
Leahy: Do you work physically in the West Wing or do you physically work in the executive office building across the way?
Williamson: I am physically in the West Wing so, I’ve got a room in the chief of staff’s office. I work out of there and it’s kind of a swing role between the chief’s office and over in the press and communications office which is right down the hall.
Leahy: So are you from North Carolina where you from originally because that’s where Mark Meadows is from. Where are you from?
Williamson: I am. I am from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Leahy: Winston-Salem, home of Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Williamson: Right. Go Deacs!
Leahy: Are you a Wake Forest grad?
Williamson: I’m not a Wake Forest grad but I am a Wake Forest sports fan. I grew up watching basketball and baseball or I’m sorry basketball and football with Chris Paul.
Leahy: Yeah. CP3.
Williamson: Great scorer. Great scorer.
Leahy: Well look Ben will you come back again and talk to us more?
Williamson: Any time my friend I would be happy to. Thank you for having me.
Listen to the full second hour here:
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Photo “Amy Coney Barrett” by Roger Wicker U.S. Senate.
