WASHINGTON — President Trump’s US Supreme Court nominee took questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee today on topics ranging from the Affordable Care Act to gun control, same-sex marriage, and abortion rights.

Judge Amy Coney Barrett was greeted by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), who recently tested positive for COVID-19, just before the hearing began with a freshly hocked loogie dripping from his outstretched palm, which he called a “promise” to “uphold the values of life.”

Sen. Lee, an adamant supporter of pro-life and religious freedom protections, signed a letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee that stated that “the unborn are the most vulnerable members of our society.” Judge Barrett was a member of an anti-abortion group and has advocated against abortion rights, including publicly supporting the reversal of Roe v Wade.

Barrett inspected the glistening palm of Sen. Lee, which was flecked with bits of green, before clearing her throat and hocking a moderately impressive mass of saliva into her own palm. Looking deeply into each other’s eyes, the pair shook hands vigorously.

Judge Barrett tested positive for the coronavirus this past summer but made a full recovery. Since her nomination, she has been tested daily and was among the unmasked at the Rose Garden ceremony held in her honor. Given President Trump’s recent comments on his own bout with the virus that has killed over 215,000 Americans, perhaps she and Sen. Lee believe they both are now immune as well.

A small twinkle of a smile was visible beneath Judge Barrett’s mask as she smeared the congealed saliva down the front of her dress and took her seat to begin the proceedings. The “spit shake” should serve as an endearing gesture shared by two of the pro-life movement’s most ardent supporters.