5 Things
Amy Coney Barrett: 5 Things To Know About The Judge Confirmed To U.S. Supreme Court
One month after Donald Trump announced that conservative Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett was his SCOTUS nomination, she was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 26.
UPDATE #2 — 10/26/20: Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court and sworn in on this evening after the senate voted 52-48. Afterwards, she said, “A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president, but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her.”
UPDATE #1 — 9/26/20 @ 5 p.m. EST: Donald Trump made the decision via livestream at 5:00pm EST on Saturday, September 26. Walking out onto the stage with Amy Coney Barrett by his side, Trump addressed the crowd. “This is my third such nomination…and it is a very proud moment indeed. Over the past week our nation has mourned the loss of a true American legend, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” he said, going on to name Amy. “We gather to continue our never ending task of equal justice. It is my honor to nominate one of our nation’s most brilliant and gifted legal minds. She is a woman of achievement, sterling credentials and loyalty to the constitution — judge Amy Coney Barrett,” he said.
“Her qualifications are unsurpassed and her record is beyond reproach. It should be straight forward and prompt,” he added, detailing her various accomplishments. “I know that you will make our country very, very proud…at Notre Dame, she was beloved by her students. Three times she was nominated by her students as professor of the year. She’s a woman of remarkable intellect,” he also said.
“Thank you very much, Mr. President. I am so grateful…I fully understand that this is a momentous decision for a President,” Amy said in her own speech. “If I have the honor of being confirmed, I pledge to do this job to the best of my ability. I love the United States and the constitution, I am truly humbled. Should I be confirmed, I will be mindful of those who came before me,” she said, paying tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
ORIGINAL STORY: Donald Trump has revealed his plan to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who sadly died at the age of 87 following a battle with cancer. Her death has given the President the rare opportunity to nominate a third candidate to the Supreme Court in just one term, and he has released a list of his top picks. “It will be a woman — a very talented, very brilliant woman,” Trump said at a September 19 rally. “I think it should be a woman. I actually like women much more than I like men.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has pledged to hold a vote on her replacement, and the current frontrunner is Amy Coney Barrett. Here’s 5 things to know about her:
1. Amy has very conservative views. She is a devout Catholic and has previously stated that “life begins at conception.” She also said that justices should not be strictly bound by Supreme Court precedents, and some critics believe that would leave open the possibility for her to vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, given her anti-abortion views. Amy is also an “originalist” which means she believes in basing her rulings and interpreting the Constitution how she believes the Founding Fathers would have. She also signed a joint letter in 2015, asserting that marriage is “founded on the indissoluble commitment of a man and a woman”.
2. She currently serves on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. She was confirmed to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017. During her confirmation hearing, she went toe-to-toe with the Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Dianne Feinstein, after she questioned whether her religious views would cloud her legal decision making. “The dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern when you come to big issues that people have fought for years in this country,” Dianne said, to which Amy quipped back, “It’s never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge’s personal convictions, whether they arise from faith or anywhere else, on the law.”
3. Amy would be the youngest Supreme Court Justice. At 48 years old, she would be the youngest Justice on the Supreme Court if appointed and confirmed. She would also be the fifth woman to ever serve on the top bench, and could hold her position for decades.
4. She was already a top contender in 2018. Two years ago, it was reported that Amy was a frontrunner to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, so it’s clear she has been front of mind to Trump for some time.
5. Amy has seven children. The Louisiana native is now married to former assistant United States Attorney Jesse Barrett. The couple share seven children, five biological and two — Vivian and John Peter — were adopted from Haiti.
