Topline
President Donald Trump on Saturday officially nominated Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, setting up a contentious battle in the Senate.
Amy Coney Barrett
(C) 2017 JULIAN VELASCO / NOTRE DAME
Key Facts
Barrett has described herself as an “originalist,” meaning she interprets the Constitution based on what she believes was the original intent of its authors, a legal approach used by conservative members of the court
Barrett has questioned Roe v. Wade, and previously said that life begins at conception, but she also said in 2018 it’s “very unlikely” the court would ever overturn the decision, adding that “the controversy right now is about funding. It’s a question of whether abortions will be publicly or privately funded.”
Barret is a member Catholic group People of Praise, which requires members to swear “loyalty oaths” to each other and use personal advisors assigned to them, leading some to question whether that would impact her jurisprudence.
She said in her appellate judge hearing in 2017 that her religious beliefs would not impact her rulings.
Key Background
While Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have signaled they will not vote on a nominee before the November election, two more Republicans would have to defect in order to block Barrett’s nomination. GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell has vowed to hold a vote on Trump’s pick before the election, even though he refused to consider Barack Obama’s nominee in 2016 because it was an election year. If confirmed, Barrett would be Trump’s third Supreme Court pick.
Source: Forbes – Business
