Amy Coney Barrett was sworn into the Supreme Court on the White House lawn Monday evening by Justice Clarence Thomas in President Trump’s presence.
After a grueling Senate hearing, Barrett barely won the nomination with a 52-48 vote and a nationwide divided public reception. Her appointment marks the first time in American history in which a Supreme Court Justice has been appointed almost a week before the presidential election.
Justice Barrett, 48, is now the youngest member of the Supreme Court, the third woman, and the sixth practicing Catholic on the bench.
In her speech following the ceremony, Barrett pointedly addresses some of the controversy surrounding her religious background’s influence on her current policy stances.
“A judge declares independence, not only from Congress and the President but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her. The Judicial Oath captures the essence of judicial duty. The rule of law must always control,” said Justice Barrett.
It is important to note that these “private beliefs influenced past policy decisions.”
According to an article from Newsweek, in several of the cases, she considered as a federal appeals court judge in Chicago, “Judge Barrett has a voting record that is almost entirely conservative in regard to issues such as gun rights, abortion, and immigration.” During her Senate hearing, she had also vaguely responded to questions concerning her stance on environmental and other public policy issues.
With her appointment confirmed, Justice Barrett has now swung the United States Supreme Court into a 6-3 majority favoring conservatism.