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On October 26th, 2020, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States, effectively giving the conservatives a 6-3 majority on the high court after a divisive process to confirm her before Election Day.

The Senate Judiciary Committee's 12 Republicans voted to advance the nomination, while all 10 Democrats boycotted the vote. The 10 Democrats have raised the concern that Barrett would vote to overturn the ACA (Affordable Care Act), given her previous criticism of a ruling upholding the law. However, Barrett has denied her opposition to the ACA.

With Democrats absent, large photographs of people who rely on the Affordable Care Act, for their health, were placed in front of their (the Democrats’) empty chairs at the meeting, urging Barrett and Senate Republicans to acknowledge their presence. The Democrats' reasoning for boycotting the hearing, was to stall the process by concealing a quorum.

The panel’s rules dictate that at least two members of the minority (Democrats) needed to be present to approve her nomination; however, the boycotting did not prevent Republicans from moving forward with Barrett's nomination.

At the meeting on Thursday morning, Republican Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham (SC) said that it was Democrats' "choice" to boycott the vote, but "we're not going to allow them to take over the committee," while Democratic Senator Dick Durbin (IL), another member of the Judiciary Committee, said that the Republicans' actions were "in violation of fair play." Durbin continued, "We believe the American people should have the last word in filling the Supreme Court vacancy, and they will have the last word on November 3." The two sides are seemingly divided, as to when the confirmation should go through and under whose presidency the confirmation should fall under.

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court on Thursday, creating a clean aperture for a full Senate vote in the week before the election.editing

The vote came one week after Barrett's confirmation hearings, during which she faced hours of intense questioning by senators, on a plethora of controversial issues, including the ACA, abortion, and voting rights. Barrett is in favor of anti-abortion activists and religious groups. Barrett, once describing abortion as “always immoral”, has twice ruled in favor of restricting access to abortion, which will leave many women to unsafe and dangerous abortions.

Democrats have also pushed away from Barrett's conservative records, raising concerns that she would vote to overturn the ACA, Roe v. Wade, and rule against LGBTQ rights. At her confirmation hearings, Barrett declined to indicate how she might rule on cases that come before the court, a tactic that has been ushered by Supreme Court nominees of both parties.

Democrats opposed the confirmation vote held just eight days before Election Day, being that Republicans refused to allow President Obama’s nominee a vote in 2016; furthermore, the GOP majority blocked President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court from even receiving a hearing, as it was an election year.

"The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is the most illegitimate process I have ever witnessed in the Senate. And her potential confirmation will have dire, dire consequences for the Senate, for the Supreme Court, and our entire country for generations to come," Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated.

Despite this, Republicans argued that it was not hypocritical to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the court ahead of the election, now that the Republican Party controls both the Senate and the White House.

On October 26th, the Senate held a final vote on Barrett after an overnight session in which Senate Democrats protested the confirmation process. Barrett was confirmed as an Associate Justice 52-48, with Maine Senator Susan Collins being the only Republican to vote against her.

Barrett was sworn in as a Supreme Court Justice that night by Justice Clarence Thomas, and began work at the Supreme Court on the 27th.

This confirmation process has served as the most divisive in history, as we remain only days from Election Day. Regardless, the addition of Amy Coney Barrett to the court is a massive shakeup, one that will have lasting impacts.