President Donald Trump
officially nominated appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett this weekend to the
Supreme Court.
The president made the
announcement just over a week after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. For the
third time, President Trump has nominated a judge to the Supreme Court. President Trump says Barrett is a woman of remarkable
intellect and character.
"I looked and I studied
and you are very imminently qualified for this job,” says President Trump. “You
are going to be fantastic."
Barrett is a 48-year-old
mother of seven. She is a conservative and a law professor at the University
of Notre Dame. She's a judge on the Seventh Circuit of Appeals. President
Trump appointed her three years ago. She also served as a former law clerk to
the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who was from New Jersey.
"The president has
nominated me to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and that institution belongs
to all of us. If confirmed, I would not assume that role for the sake of those
in my own circle and certainly not for my own sake. I would assume this role to
serve you."
President Trump's previous
picks include Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Barrett would be the first
mother with school-aged children to hold the position.
Reaction to her nomination
came in from current state leaders, agreeing with the Democratic argument that
confirming Barrett would undermine American rights, especially when it comes to health care.
Sen. Cory Booker says,
“Donald Trump's nominee is a direct threat to the Affordable Care Act,
reproductive choice, and so many other liberties we hold sacred. We can't be
silent as he tries to rush a Supreme Court Justice through the Senate. The
American people deserve to have their voices heard."
Sen. Bob Menendez says, “This is
nothing less than a cynical power grab in the midst of an election in which
they fear that the will of the American people can ultimately end their reign, and
this nominee is nothing more than a knowing pawn in their scheme."
Barrett would be among the
youngest justices to serve on the Supreme Court if confirmed. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will vote in the weeks ahead.