Senate confirms Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Supreme Court
Judge Amy Coney Barrett appears at her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Image from C-SPAN.
The U.S. Senate on Monday evening confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Senate approved Barrett by a vote of 52 to 48, report the New York Times and the Washington Post. The only Republican to vote against her confirmation was Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
Barrett’s confirmation will give the Supreme Court a 6-3 conservative majority. At age 48, she will be the youngest justice on the Supreme Court.
Barrett was sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas on Monday evening in an event at the White House’s South Lawn, report the New York Times and SCOTUSblog. She was also expected to be sworn in by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. She took the constitutional oath Monday and will take the judicial oath Tuesday, SCOTUSblog explains.
Barrett said in her remarks that federal judges don’t stand for election, and their duty is separated from political preference, according to SCOTUSblog.
“A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president, but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her,” she said. “The judicial oath captures the essence of the judicial duty the rule of law must always control.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee had sent Barrett’s nomination to the full Senate last Thursday after Democratic members boycotted the meeting.
Barrett has been a judge on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals since 2017.
Barrett received a “well qualified” rating for the Supreme Court from a substantial majority of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary. The committee chair, Randall Noel, had described Barrett as an “intellectual giant” who is who is “decent, selfless and sincere” in prepared testimony for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Barrett graduated first in her Notre Dame law class. She clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and U.S. Circuit Judge Laurence Silberman. She was a professor at Notre Dame Law School since 2002.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “As SCOTUS confirmation hearing ends, a ‘well qualified’ Barrett avoids controversy and opinions”
ABAJournal.com: “4 major takeaways from the Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearings”
ABAJournal.com: “Why Amy Coney Barrett got a ‘well qualified’ rating from ABA standing committee”
ABAJournal.com: “Trump praises Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s ‘sterling credentials’ as he nominates her to the Supreme Court”
ABAJournal.com: “A top SCOTUS contender, Amy Coney Barrett is likely to draw scrutiny for decisions on abortion, campus sex assault”
Updated Oct. 27 at 8:00 a.m. to include details of swearing-in ceremony.
