News
James Besanvalle
Sep 27, 2020
It’s official – Donald Trump has formally nominated Amy Coney Barrett for the US Supreme Court.
The POTUS made the announcement at the White House on Saturday evening and said she is “eminently qualified for the job”.
He added:
It is my honor to nominate one of our nation’s most brilliant and gifted legal minds to the Supreme Court. She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect, sterling credentials, and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution: Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
The audience at the White House Rose Garden then erupted into applause.
But not everyone was happy with the nomination.
Barrett is a devout Catholic and, as such, she is expected to oppose abortion rights.
She’s previously remarked that the church’s views on prohibiting abortion and euthanasia are “absolute” because they “take away innocent life”.
People were horrified someone with anti-abortion views may assume one of the most powerful positions in the country:
Amy Coney Barrett referred to abortion as “always immoral” and has ruled twice in favor of upholding restrictions t… https://t.co/se1XVOcCXi— Robert Reich (@Robert Reich) 1601068721
BREAKING: Trump has selected anti-abortion extremist Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed RBG. BLOCK THAT VOTE!— Travis Allen (@Travis Allen ) 1601070094
Over two-thirds of the U.S. believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Confirming Amy Coney Barrett,… https://t.co/leTDPwCnyD— Padma Lakshmi (@Padma Lakshmi) 1601076486
I see Trump has placed another irish surname with strong anti-abortion rights views, Amy Coney Barrett, as his top… https://t.co/f3FcjYLIlk— Dara Ó Cuinneáin (@Dara Ó Cuinneáin) 1600765023
Amy Coney Barrett is anti-abortion.— Tommie Sunshine ✊️ (@Tommie Sunshine ✊️) 1601071622
Barrett is also a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and limiting gun control:
Amy Coney Barrett, your Pope is on line 2. He has some thoughts about your perverse opposition to gun control https://t.co/k7R96mmv8X— Rising Blue Tides 🌀 (@Rising Blue Tides 🌀) 1601135602
Amy Coney Barrett is a Second Amendment extremist. Last year, she wrote an alarming opinion opposing making people… https://t.co/EvEub387MN— Shannon Watts (@Shannon Watts) 1601065031
@Lexialex If Amy Coney Barrett believes in the sanctity of life from conception to death, why would she support the… https://t.co/REkRx8O87O— 💧Marilyn (@💧Marilyn) 1601150859
What do I think of Amy Coney Barrett? As a person, I like her. However, as a potential Supreme Court justice, I'm c… https://t.co/tbDIxRLhaw— Norman Oro (he/him/his) (@Norman Oro (he/him/his)) 1601092345
Amy Coney Barrett is a gun rights extremist who has no place on the Supreme Court. She’d be an ideal SCOTUS Justice… https://t.co/jJr3yc52eS— Everytown (@Everytown) 1601154483
How would Amy Coney Barrett rule on guns? The evidence suggests she has a very expansive view of gun rights, likely… https://t.co/KUeptK02uP— Adam Winkler (@Adam Winkler) 1600978253
People were also nervous about her record on LGBTQ+ rights:
Amy Coney Barrett’s anti-LGBTQ views would be destructive on the Supreme Court and to the lives of LGBTQ Americans.… https://t.co/4kb7mXnJcv— GLAAD (@GLAAD) 1601154500
Amy Coney Barrett has explicitly defended the dissent in the Supreme Court case legalizing same-sex marriage. She f… https://t.co/JXiC5iqS1m— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈) 1601082964
#AmyConeyBarrett don’t kid yourselves she is a nightmare when it comes to gay rights— C.E.K - Charles (@C.E.K - Charles) 1601150876
If confirmed, Amy Coney Barrett will be a vote to undermine and overturn hard-won rights critical to LGBTQ people,… https://t.co/YqcuZp1tqR— Sarah Kate Ellis (@Sarah Kate Ellis) 1601154591
The issue w Amy Coney Barrett is not that she’s religious- it’s that she believes her faith supersedes the rights o… https://t.co/iHhvfN7Q0W— Lauren Leader (@Lauren Leader) 1601081873
In a June dissent, she wrote that she favoured allowing one of Trump's contested policies. She was out-ruled, 2-1, to end the so-called “public charge” rule in Illinois.
That Trump policy denies legal permanent residency to some migrants who are deemed most likely to require government assistance at some point.
So people were nervous about her record on immigration:
We are extremely concerned about President Trump's nominee. Amy Coney Barrett is not good news for immigrants. She… https://t.co/fsaqvTdsKJ— RAICES (@RAICES) 1601156583
Judge Barrett was the only member of a 3 judge panel who voted to uphold the harmful “public charge rule” that proh… https://t.co/oXuEZJMTNz— RAICES (@RAICES) 1601156583
And healthcare:
"A vote for Amy Coney Barrett is a dagger aimed at the heart of the healthcare protections Americans so desperately… https://t.co/eHtJmTzQSc— ABC News (@ABC News) 1601173435
If you like having healthcare, you'll beg your Senators to block Amy Coney Barrett for SCOTUS. She believes the ACA… https://t.co/FXmhneEbC0— Pin Young 🌊🏳️🌈📽🎙🎻 (@Pin Young 🌊🏳️🌈📽🎙🎻) 1601078904
Amy Coney Barrett will cast a vote for the repeal of the ACA — eliminating healthcare for millions of Americans and… https://t.co/1ya1nTMF2u— Ady Barkan (@Ady Barkan) 1601082970
@fordm The Amy Coney Barrett discourse is that millions of Americans are going to lose affordable healthcare in th… https://t.co/WPT02W18nd— Harlow (@Harlow) 1601143765
Trump’s plan is to confirm Barrett before the 3 November election so confirmation hearings for her will begin on 12 October.
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