what barrett's approval means

Judge Amy Barrett assumed her office as the Supreme Court’s 115th Justice on October 27th, 2020. She was nominated by Donald Trump, and was approved by the Senate with a 52-48 vote. Her appointment was just over a week before the election, the closest nomination and appointment in history.

Amy Coney Barrett is currently the youngest Supreme Court Justice, at only 48 years old. For comparison, the youngest Supreme Court Justice in history, John Jay, took his oath when he was 44. In addition to being one of the youngest justices ever appointed, Barrett is also the 5th ever female justice to be appointed.

In 1994, Barret graduated from Rhodes College. Barret is the only current justice not to have graduated from either Harvard or Yale. In 1997, Barrett graduated at the top of her class from Notre Dame Law School, where she was the editor for their law review.

While her credentials are highly important, the main aspect of her appointment is what decisions will come from it. While Barrett does prefer to keep her own personal opinions private, her general standpoints on several issues can be predicted from her previous writing and cases. Barrett generally believes that anything not explicitly stated in the Constitution should not be controlled by federal law.

Historically, Barret has opposed laws that block abortion bans, which may suggest that she will favor states' rights to ban abortion. She has also approved of multiple laws that would limit abortions. She believes that guns should have little federal regulation, again drawing back to the Constitution and past precedents. The Affordable Care Act’s basis in the Constitution has been questioned multiple times by Barrett and her associates. Barrett has also said she would have voted in favor of Trump’s efforts to block Green cards being issued to immigrants in need of assistance.

To generalize her opinions, Barrett is a Conservative who believes federal law should only be implemented if something is obviously unconstitutional or has some basis in the Constitution. On issues like abortion rights, gun control, unviersal healthcare, and easier immigration she is likely to vote against the liberal ideas. She will favorably vote for issues that protect freedom of speech and most other constitutional rights.

“I tend to agree with those who say that a justice’s duty is to the Constitution and that it is thus more legitimate for her to enforce her best understanding of the Constitution rather than a precedent she thinks clearly in conflict with it,” wrote Barrett in 2013.

Barrett's nomination and vetting process was stoked with controversy, with Democrats insisting that the process was being carried through too quickly. However, Barrett has pledged to focus on the Constitution above all, insisting that her personal opinions and views will not interfere with her judicial duty to the Constitution. Despite the debate around her appointment, Justice Amy Barrett will bring a new perspective to the Supreme Court.