New Justice in the Court By: Goldie Ancis

    On September 18, 2020, our country lost a crucial member of the Supreme Court. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal Supreme Justice was 87 years old when she passed just over a month ago due to pancreatic cancer. RBG, considered a liberal icon,  was nominated into the Supreme Court by President Bill Clinton back in 1993 and served up until her recent death. 

    With the tragic passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg came an open spot in the Supreme Court. Current President Donald Trump was to nominate a candidate to fill the seat which would then be confirmed by the US Senate which has a Republican majority. With a Supreme Court seat being a lifetime spot, the stakes to choosing the right person were high. On October 26th just days before the upcoming election, President Trump selected Amy Coney Barrett, a Judge from Indiana to fill the vacancy. Barrett is 48 years old and is a conservative judge. Trump held a swearing-in event for Barrett at the White House where Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett. With the addition of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, the Court will now consist of six conservative judges and three liberal. The addition of Amy Coney Barrett also opens up a discussion of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act, as well as the 2020 Presidential Election. 

    

    As discussed before, the Presidential Election is in just a few days, and with the pressure of finding someone to fill the Supreme Court Justice seat many people, specifically, Republicans pushed the confirmation of the Justice to be before the election. Only one Republican apart of the US Senate voted against Barrett. Senator Susan Collins did not vote for Barrett only due to the fact that she believed it wasn't fair to have a Senate confirmation vote right before the election. Many others in our country agreed and also believed that the confirmation was way too rushed.

    

    It is never possible to please everyone. Some people will agree with the new addition to the Supreme Court and some won't. However, Amy Coney Barrett will continue to serve a lifetime as a Supreme Court Justice along with the eight others already on the Supreme Court. Although she is already an official member of the Supreme Court, Trump's decision of confirming Barrett will continue to be a topic of debate for months or maybe even years to come. 

Source:

https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-virus-outbreak-ruth-bader-ginsburg-amy-coney-barrett-82a02a618343c98b80ca2b6bf9eafe07