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u.s. news Dialuna 28 September 2020

Trump caps judiciary remake with choice of Barrett for court

(AP) — President Donald has animated activists in both
Trump has nominated Judge parties for decades. Now,
Amy Coney Barrett to the with the seemingly decisive
Supreme Court, capping a shift in the court’s ideologi-
dramatic reshaping of the cal makeup, Democrats hope
federal judiciary that will their voters will turn out in
resonate for a generation and droves because of their frus-
that he hopes will provide a tration with the Barrett pick.
needed boost to his reelec-
tion effort. “Justice Ginsburg must be
turning over in her grave
Barrett, a former clerk to the up in heaven, to see that the
late Justice Antonin Scalia, person they chose seems to
said Saturday that she was be intent on undoing all the
“truly humbled” by the nom- things that Ginsburg did,”
ination and quickly aligned Schumer said.
herself with Scalia's conser- Trump has also increasingly
vative approach to the law, embraced the high court —
saying his “judicial philoso- on which he will have had
phy is mine, too." an outsize hand in reshap-
Barrett, 48, was joined in the ing -– as an insurance policy
Rose Garden by her husband in a close election. “We don’t
and seven children. If con- have to do it before, but I
firmed by the Senate, she think this will be done before
would fill the seat vacated by the election," Trump told re-
liberal icon Ruth Bader Gins- porters Saturday. “I think it’ll
burg. It would be the sharp- send a great signal to a lot of
est ideological swing since people.”Increases in mail,
Clarence Thomas replaced absentee and early voting
Justice Thurgood Marshall brought about by the corona-
nearly three decades ago. encouraged legislators to take Biden took that route of mold of Scalia, for whom she virus pandemic have already
up her nomination swiftly criticism, as well, framing clerked in the late 1990s. She led to a flurry of election liti-
She would be the sixth justice and asked Democrats to “re- Trump’s choice as another would be the only justice on gation, and both Trump and
on the nine-member court to frain from personal and parti- move in Republicans’ effort the current court not to have Biden have assembled armies
be appointed by a Republican san attacks.” to scrap the 2010 health care received her law degree from of lawyers to continue the
president, and the third of law passed by his former boss, an Ivy League school. The fight once vote-counting be-
Trump’s first term in office. In 2016, Republicans blocked President Barack Obama. eight current justices all at- gins. Trump has been open
Trump hailed Barrett as “a Obama’s nomination of Mer- The court is expected to take tended either Harvard or about tying his push to name
woman of remarkable intel- rick Garland to the Supreme up a case against it this fall. Yale. a third justice to the court to
lect and character,” saying he Court to fill the election-year The set design at the Rose The staunch conservative a potentially drawn-out court
had studied her record close- vacancy, saying voters should Garden, with large Ameri- had become known to Trump fight to determine who will
ly before making the pick. have a say in the lifetime ap- can flags hung between the in large part after her bitter be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021.
Republican senators are lin- pointment. Senate Repub- colonnades, appeared to be 2017 appeals court confir- “I think this will end up in
ing up for a swift confirma- licans say they will move modeled on the way the mation included allegations the Supreme Court,” Trump
tion of Barrett ahead of the ahead this time, arguing the White House was decorated that Democrats were attack- said Wednesday of the elec-
Nov. 3 election, as they aim circumstances are different when President Bill Clinton ing her Catholic faith. The tion. “And I think it’s very
to lock in conservative gains now that the White House nominated Ginsburg in 1993. president also interviewed important that we have nine
in the federal judiciary be- and Senate are controlled by her in 2018 for the vacancy justices.” No Democratic
fore a potential transition of the same party. Senate Major- Barrett, recognizing that flags created by the retirement of senators are expected to vote
power. Trump, meanwhile, is ity Leader Mitch McConnell were still lowered in recog- Justice Anthony Kennedy, to confirm Barrett before the
hoping the nomination will said the Senate will vote “in nition of Ginsburg's death, but Trump ultimately chose election, even though some
galvanize his supporters as he the weeks ahead” on Bar- said she would be “mindful Brett Kavanaugh. did support her in 2017. Two
looks to fend off Democrat rett’s confirmation. Barrett of who came before me." Al- Democrats still serving in the
Joe Biden. is expected to make her first though they have different Trump and his political al- Senate who voted to confirm
appearance Tuesday on Capi- judicial philosophies, Barrett lies are itching for another Barrett in 2017, Sen. Tim
For Trump, whose 2016 vic- tol Hill, where she will meet praised Ginsburg as a trail- fight over Barrett’s faith, Kaine of Virginia and Sen.
tory hinged in large part on with McConnell; Republican blazer for women and for her seeing it as a political wind- Joe Manchin of West Vir-
reluctant support from white Sen. Lindsey Graham, the friendship with Scalia, say- fall that would backfire on ginia, now say it’s too close to
evangelicals on the promise chair of the Judiciary Com- ing, “She has won the admi- Democrats. Catholic voters the election to consider her
of filling Scalia's seat with a mittee; and others. ration of women across the in Pennsylvania, in particular, nomination.
conservative, the latest nomi- country and indeed all across are viewed as a pivotal demo-
nation in some ways brings Hearings are set to begin the world." graphic in the swing state that Meanwhile, outside conser-
his first term full circle. Even Oct. 12, and Graham said Within hours of Ginsburg’s Biden, also Catholic, is trying vative groups are planning to
before Ginsburg’s death, he hoped to have Barrett's death, Trump made clear he to recapture. While Demo- spend more than $25 million
Trump was running on hav- nomination out of the com- would nominate a woman crats appear powerless to stop to support Trump and his
ing confirmed in excess of mittee by Oct. 26. Senate for the seat. Barrett was the Barrett’s confirmation in the nominee. The Judicial Crisis
200 federal judges, fulfilling Democratic leader Chuck early favorite and the only GOP-controlled Senate, they Network has organized a co-
a generational aim of conser- Schumer and House Speaker one to meet with Trump. are seeking to use the process alition that includes Ameri-
vative legal activists. Trump Nancy Pelosi warned that a to weaken Trump’s reelec- can First Policies, the Susan
joked that the confirmation vote to confirm Barrett to the Barrett has been a judge since tion chances.Barrett's nomi- B. Anthony List, the Club
process ahead “should be high court would be a vote to 2017, when Trump nominat- nation could become a reck- for Growth and the group
easy” and “extremely non- strike down the Affordable ed her to the Chicago-based oning over abortion, an issue Catholic Vote to help con-
controversial," though it is Care Act. Schumer added 7th U.S. Circuit Court of that has divided many Amer- firm Barrett. The Repub-
likely to be anything but. No that the president was once Appeals. But as a longtime icans so bitterly for almost lican National Committee
court nominee has been con- again putting “Americans’ University of Notre Dame half a century. The idea of has launched a $10 million
sidered so close to a presiden- healthcare in the crosshairs” law professor, she had al- overturning or gutting Roe v. digital campaign of its own,
tial election before, with early even while the coronavirus ready established herself as Wade, the landmark 1973 de- in conjunction with Trump's
voting already underway. He pandemic rages. a reliable conservative in the cision that legalized abortion, reelection campaign.