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Trump’s Supreme Court pick faces Senate hearings
WASHINGTON, Oct 12, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – The US Senate will start confirmation
hearings on Monday for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, nominated to the Supreme
Court by President Donald Trump despite opposition from the Democrats, who
appear largely powerless to block the move before the November 3 election.
The 48-year-old conservative law professor was named by the Republican
president on September 26 to succeed women’s rights champion and liberal
justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died of cancer eight days earlier at the age
of 87.
By law, the Republican-led Senate has to approve the nomination to the
country’s highest court, where conservatives currently occupy five of the
nine seats.
The Democrats and their presidential candidate Joe Biden are demanding that
a nomination to the lifetime post be left until after the election, but Trump
wants to push ahead as quickly as possible to satisfy voters on the right.
Barrett, a practicing Catholic, is well regarded by conservative
Christians, who share many of her values, including an opposition to abortion
and same-sex marriage.
The mother of seven children, including two who were adopted and one with
Downs Syndrome, once told a gathering of students that “your legal career is
but a means to an end, and… that end is building the kingdom of God.”
In recent days, Barrett’s affiliation to a small group of Catholics called
the People of Praise, in which she reportedly held the title of “handmaid,”
has drawn particular attention.
– Faith and the law –
But the judge, known for her finely honed legal arguments, insists she can
keep her faith separate from her legal judgment.
“Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our
public life,” Barrett said in a draft of her opening statement to be
delivered Monday.
“The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the
political branches elected by and accountable to the People. The public
should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try.”
Her supporters argue she is the victim of a hostility on the left toward
religion in general.
“The ongoing attacks by Senate Democrats and the media on Judge Barrett’s
faith are a disgrace,” said Republican Senate majority leader Mitch
McConnell.
“We hope she gets a fair hearing,” said Vice-President Mike Pence during a
debate with Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris in Utah on Wednesday.
“And we particularly hope we don’t see the kind of attacks on her Christian
faith that we saw before.”
In a country where only a quarter of the population claims to be atheist or
to have no religious affiliation, Harris — a California senator who sits on
the Judicial Committee that will conduct Barrett’s hearing — was careful to
avoid that pitfall.
“Joe Biden and I are both people of faith,” she shot back at Pence. “And
it’s insulting to suggest that we would knock anyone for their faith.”
Without attacking the judge personally, Harris repeated that it should be
impossible to confirm her at a time when four million Americans had already
cast their ballots in early voting for the upcoming election.
She also avoided the divisive issue of abortion and instead insisted that
the Trump administration was using the court system to overturn the
Affordable Care Act, the healthcare system pushed through by Biden and former
president Barack Obama.
– ‘Moon suit’ –
Despite their opposition to the judge, the Democrats have few tools at
their disposal to block her confirmation.
McConnell controls the Senate’s schedule and procedures, as the Republicans
retain 53 of the upper chamber’s 100 seats.
Even though two Republican senators — Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins —
have said they oppose holding a vote for Barrett before the election, the
Republicans still have enough votes to fast-track the confirmation.
Only the coronavirus itself might be able to put the brakes on: three
Republican senators — Mike Lee, Thom Tillis and Ron Johnson — have tested
positive for the disease and have put themselves into isolation.
The first two, who sit on the Judicial Committee, could participate in the
confirmation hearings by video-conference, but all three will have to be
physically on the Senate floor for the vote, which could pose a health risk
to other members.
In a show of their determination to confirm the nominee before the
election, Johnson said he would wear a “moon suit” to attend the vote if
necessary.
BSS/AFP/FI/ 1412 hrs