It’s official: Amy Coney Barrett now Supreme Court justice [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• With a 52 to 48 vote, the Senate confirmed Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court, eight days prior to the November 3rd election.
• Shortly after her confirmation, the White House hosted Barrett’s swearing-in ceremony, officiated by Justice Clarence Thomas.
• Barrett said that she was grateful to Trump and pledged her best effort in fulfilling her new duty.

Just eight days before Election Day, Amy Coney Barrett is now confirmed to the Supreme Court, as the Senate GOP gave President Donald Trump a big triumph. Moving forward, the confirmation ensures the rightwing’s domination in the US’ highest court.

In a 52 to 48 vote, Barrett’s confirmation became official as both Democrats and Republicans voted in-line with their party’s stand except for GOP Senator Susan Collins, who voted against the confirmation. 

Whatever the Election Day outcome maybe, Trump’s legacy on judicial appointees is cemented ━ even all of those appointments were confronted with several controversies.

With a six to three ratio between the conservatives and liberal justices, the former would now have the edge of ruling in favor of their traditional disposition and the likes.  

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell undermined the significance of Barrett’s confirmation on Sunday.

“A lot of what we’ve done over the last four years will be undone sooner or later by the next election. They won’t be able to do much about this for a long time to come,” he said.

For Democrats, mainly-contested topics such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and climate crisis would be at risk of losing its legality as the conservatives now have the upper hand in handling these issues.

Shortly after her confirmation, Barrett swore-in at the White House together with her husband, the president and the first lady. Justice Clarence Thomas officiated her oath-taking ceremony.

According to Trump, Barrett’s inclusion in the Supreme Court would advance “the cause of freedom.”

In response to the president, Barrett said: “I am grateful for the confidence you have expressed in me, and I pledge to you and to the American people that I will discharge my duties to the very best of my ability,” after she had sworn in.

During Democratic party’s closing arguments, Senator Chuck Schumer described Barrett’s confirmation as one of the “darkest days in the 231-year history” of the Senate. Referring to his GOP colleagues, the top Democrat legislator said: “You may get Amy Coney Barrett on to the supreme court but you will never, never get your credibility back.”

Reacting to the confirmation, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted his denouncement: “More than 60 million Americans have already voted. They deserve to have their voices heard on who replaced justice Ginsburg.”

Barrett, 48, is now the fifth woman to become a Supreme Court justice. She officially succeeded the late liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away last month at the age of 87.

Source: The Guardian