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- Amy Coney Barrett’s hearing has begun before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The candidate for the United States Supreme Court has been nominated by the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
- The lawyer did not respond to key legal issues such as the right to abortion or same-sex marriages.
If you were to express an opinion on a precedent today, this could give the parties an indication of what decision you would be inclined to make in a specific case. This is what Amy Coney Barrett argued before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
I would never discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.
Barrett was referring to the so-called “Ginsburg rule” of his predecessor in office, the recently deceased Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg. At his 1993 hearing, he said he would “give no clues, no prognosis, no perspective” on how he would judge future cases.
Barrett remains lazy
When asked, Barrett did not specifically comment on two preceding lawsuits that some conservatives want to overturn. There is the Roe v. Wade (1973), who declared women’s right to abortion constitutional, and Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), who also ruled it for same-sex marriages.
Controversial precedents of the Supreme Court
Barrett said at the hearing that he found the discrimination “abhorrent.” “I would never discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.”
When asked if a US president could postpone an election, Barrett did not respond. If you were ever faced with such a question, you would first have to listen to the arguments and consult with your colleagues.
Conservative majority on the Supreme Court?
With Barrett, the Conservatives would win a dominant majority of six of the nine seats on the Supreme Court. The Senate appoints the judges for life. Because Republicans hold 53 of the 100 seats in the Senate, Democrats alone cannot avoid an appointment.
Therefore, Barrett’s opponents want to avoid a long-term conservative majority on the Supreme Court and demand that the vacant seat be filled only after the November 3 presidential election.
Democrats see “Obamacare” in danger
On the first day of the hearing, it was clear that Democrats wanted to address the voters directly. They warned that with Barrett the “Obamacare” health reform could be canceled in the Supreme Court and called on citizens to protest against Republican senators.
Barrett was covered specifically for “Obamacare.” But he stressed that he had not had a conversation with Trump about specific cases. “I have not promised anyone how to solve a case.” Nor is it “hostile” to Obama reform. “I’m independent,” Barrett said. “My personal opinions have nothing to do with how I could decide cases.”
