President Donald Trump has selected Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat and several Texas legislators are backing his decision.
President Trump announced his nomination Saturday afternoon. This comes after Justice Ginsburg’s death just last week.
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Judge Barrett is on the Chicago-based 7th Circuit Court of Appeals and is a devout Roman Catholic, according to a report from the Associated Press.
At just 48, if Barrett takes Ginsburg’s seat, she will be the youngest justice and her tenure can last for decades, AP reports.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott is among the legislators in support of Trump’s decision and he said Judge Barrett would make an “outstanding Supreme Court justice.”
“Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a remarkable individual who will make an outstanding Supreme Court Justice. Her proven legal brilliance is matched by her exceptional character and unflinching commitment to the U.S. Constitution. The Senate should swiftly confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court just as it recently confirmed her to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton is in agreement. He released the following statement, in support of Barrett’s nomination:
“President Trump made an exceptional selection in nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the United States Supreme Court. Judge Barrett, who currently serves on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, has extensive experience in the Supreme Court’s work as a clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia and as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, where she was named ‘distinguished professor of the year’ three times. She has also written nearly 100 opinions in an impressive judicial track record that demonstrates superb temperament, judicial restraint, and a firm commitment to following the rule of law and upholding the Constitution. Judge Barrett will make an outstanding addition to the Supreme Court.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who was named on President Trump’s shortlist for candidates to fill the court seat, issued the following statement following Barrett’s nomination.
“Judge Amy Coney Barrett currently serves on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit with honor and distinction, and I look forward to supporting her nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. Before her confirmation to the Seventh Circuit, Judge Barrett was a respected academic and award-winning professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, where she continues to teach. Judge Barrett clerked for Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Though Judge Barrett’s credentials are impeccable, I have no doubt Senate Democrats will try to destroy her reputation for political gain, because they already tried to do just that. In 2017, when she was nominated to the Seventh Circuit, my Democratic colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee interrogated Judge Barrett not for her record or her qualifications, but for her faith. It was a shameful exercise of religious bigotry, the likes of which should have long ago been relegated to the history books.
Judge Barrett is well-qualified to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Having confirmed her to the circuit court in 2017 with bipartisan support, the Senate has already undertaken a thorough and rigorous review of her record. Let me be clear: Democrats' expected attempts to derail this process, along with their contempt for Judge Barrett and her faith, will not impede this nomination.
I look forward to her confirmation hearing, where Judge Barrett will have the opportunity to demonstrate to the Judiciary Committee, the Senate, and the American people that she will uphold the rule of law and interpret the Constitution according to its original meaning without fear or favor. In 2016, President Trump promised to nominate judges in the mold of Justices Scalia and Clarence Thomas. The American people elected him president and expanded the Senate Republicans' majority in 2018 because we’ve delivered on that promise. I have every confidence she will be confirmed before Election Day.”
U.S. Senator John Cornyn referred to Barrett as a ‘legal trailblazer’ and issued the following statement following her nomination to the high court:
"Judge Amy Coney Barrett is a legal trailblazer with a deep respect for the law and our nation’s founding principles. Throughout her impressive career, Judge Barrett has maintained the importance of an independent judiciary that interprets the law and Constitution as-written, and operates free from political pressure.
"Judge Barrett has impressed the brightest judicial and legal minds with her profound understanding of the law. During the confirmation process for her current position, Judge Barrett proved she has not only the legal expertise, but also the proper temperament and character to serve on the high court.
“The Senate will begin a thorough review of Judge Barrett’s nomination, a process that should not be rushed. Despite previous attacks based on Judge Barrett’s religious faith, I hope Democrats choose not to engage in another character assassination, as they did against Justice Kavanaugh. I look forward to meeting with Judge Barrett in the coming days as the Judiciary Committee prepares for her confirmation hearing.”
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