The oath-taking ceremony later at the White House was inspiring. Having Justice Thomas administer the oath was political brilliance. The most senior Supreme Court Justice, a black man; the newest Justice, a woman; and the President in the middle.
Overpowering Democratic opposition, Senate Republicans voted on Monday night to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in a move that will make the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge and Notre Dame law professor the third appointment to the high court by President Trump, solidifying his administration’s legacy even further just a week before Election Day as he seeks a second term. The move will likely solidify a conservative court majority for years to come.
Barrett was sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House on Monday night.
Trump’s choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even a potential dispute over his own election. Democrats are unable to stop Monday’s outcome, Trump’s third justice to the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.
Barrett is 48, and her confirmation will solidify the court’s rightward tilt.
Vice President Mike Pence’s office said Monday he would not preside at the Senate session unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when his aides tested positive for COVID-19. The vote was 52-48, and Pence’s vote was not necessary.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was the only Republican to vote against Barrett after expressing objections to moving a Supreme Court nomination before an election after Republicans blocked Obama nominee Merrick Garland ahead of the 2016 election. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has also expressed the same concerns as Collins and voted against a procedural motion to advance Barrett’s nomination on Sunday, but she voted for the nominee Monday after saying she would not hold her process objections against Barrett.
All 45 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the Democrats voted against Barrett’s confirmation.
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