Senate advances Amy Coney Barrett nomination, setting up final confirmation vote

The Senate voted 51-48 on Sunday to advance the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, setting up a final confirmation vote for Monday.

Why it matters: It's now virtually inevitable that the Senate will vote to confirm President Trump's third Supreme Court nominee before the election, which is just nine days away.

• "A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election," Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said after the vote. "They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come."

Driving the news: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) advised his caucus on Sunday not to congregate in the Senate chamber and to cast "votes quickly and from a safe distance," after several of Vice President Mike Pence's aides tested positive for the coronavirus.

• Pence has declined to quarantine as recommended under CDC guidelines, and he plans to preside over Barrett's confirmation vote on Monday.
• Staffers for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) also tested positive for the virus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Saturday. Loeffler's office said she tested negative on Friday.

What they're saying: "While CDC guidelines would dictate contract tracing [and] quarantining be practiced, our colleagues and the Vice President have indicated that they do not intend to follow such protocols," Schumer wrote in a letter to colleagues.

• "The Vice President is maintaining his campaign schedule and, inexplicably, intends to preside over the Senate chamber tomorrow evening."
• "Their carelessness with the health and safety of their colleagues and Capitol employees mirrors their carelessness with the health and safety of Americans during this crisis."