With the judicial oath before the President of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, The judge Amy coney barrett It is officially a member of the highest court in the United States, although concerns about its performance in civil rights, immigration and electoral cases are mounting among activists and experts.
Judge Barrett, 48, is 115th on the court and, after being sworn in, she was greeted with a request to rule on an election decision in Pennsylvania, a key state this year.
Luzerne County attorneys asked the highest court to prevent Judge Barrett from participating in a Republican petition to block a state Supreme Court decision that allowed the counting of ballots received three days after the election. The defenders consider that the position of the judge during the hearings in the Senate are worrisome for her to hear this case.
The swearing-in photo was shared by the Supreme Court, which indicated that all attendees followed the rules of social distancing and wore masks to avoid coronavirus infections.
The conservative judge, who tips the balance that way in court 6-3, achieves the position after the death of the judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who had a practically opposite profile.
The first disputes you will face will be the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as Obamacare, and possibly the decision on the presidential election, if there is a dispute in courts before a close contest between the former vice president Joe biden and the president Donald trump.
The appointment of Judge Barrett has been the most expeditious prior to the elections, just nine days away, unlike 2016, when the process was stopped more than 70 days after the death of the judge Antonin Scalia, giving President Trump the opportunity to appoint the judge Neil gorsuch.
The vote in the Senate came after several hours of opposition by Democrats. In the end the Republicans won 52-48. The next step was a ceremony at the White House, where the judge Clarence thomas administered the constitutional oath to Barrett.
Impartiality in rights
Before and during their hearings in the Judicial Committee, defenders of civil rights and experts in health, immigration, electoral rights, among others, expressed their concern over the appointment of Judge Barrett, due to its negative record in opinions and decisions on – for example – immigration and the legal interruption of pregnancy.
The plight of the Republicans and President Trump unleashed more alerts, considering that they were seeking to impose a court “as”, before a closed electoral process.
“President Donald Trump and the Republican Senate believe they can use the US Supreme Court as a political tool to override the will of the American people on health care, Roe versus Wade, and democracy itself ”, he accused Neera tanden, executive director of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. “Appointing a new judge eight days before the elections – after more than 60 million people have already voted – is a serious threat to the legitimacy of the court and an insult to the voters. The American people will spend the next week giving their verdict on this hostile takeover of the Supreme Court. “
The group Voto Latino criticized the plight of the majority leader in the Senate, Mitch McConnell (Kentucky) to endorse Judge Barrett, while delaying the approval of financial aid in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is absolutely no justice whatsoever with this confirmation”, He said Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino. “Judge Coney Barrett’s hearing was a sham, leaving the American people with little or no idea of her beliefs and intentions when she is in court. Rather than helping the country through a global pandemic, Senate Republicans have chosen to distort the high court for decades to come. “
The organization Climate Power 2020 also criticized the hasty decision to fill the position left by the death of Judge Bader Ginsburg.
“The rush to confirm Barrett, even after early voting for the 2020 presidential election began, shows how eager Senate Republicans are to impose Donald Trump’s anti-environmental agenda in court,” he warned. Lori Loders, executive director of that group.
The troubling issues
The opinions as an academic and her decisions in court call into question the impartiality of Judge Barrett on several issues:
- Electoral rights
- Legal termination of pregnancy (Roe v. Wade)
- Immigration, such as separation of children from their parents
- Low cost health insurance (ACA), known as Obamacare
- Decisions on public policies to face climate change
