Watch video of Trump and Barrett remarks.
TRUMP
I stand before you today to fulfill one of my highest and most important duties under the United States Constitution: the nomination of a Supreme Court Justice. This is my third such nomination after Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh. And it is a very proud moment indeed. Over the past week, our nation has mourned the loss of a true American legend. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a legal giant and a pioneer for women.
Her extraordinary life and legacy will inspire Americans for generations to come. Now we gather in the Rose Garden to continue our never-ending task of ensuring equal justice and preserving the impartial rule of law.
Today, it is my honor to nominate one of our nation’s most brilliant and gifted legal minds to the Supreme Court. She is a woman of unparalleled achievement, towering intellect, sterling credentials, and unyielding loyalty to the Constitution. Judge Amy Coney Barrett. We’re also joined by Amy’s husband, Jesse. Thank you, Jesse, very much. And their seven beautiful children. Congratulations to you all. Very special day. With us as well are the first lady, along with Vice President Mike Pence and his amazing wife, Karen. Thank you very much.
Judge Barrett is a graduate of Rhodes College and the University of Notre Dame Law School. At Notre Dame, she earned a full academic scholarship, served as the executive editor of the Law Review, graduated first in her class and received the law school’s award for the best record of scholarship and achievement. Upon graduation, she became a clerk for Judge Lawrence Silberman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Amy then received one of the highest honors a young lawyer could have serving as a clerk on the Supreme Court for Justice Antonin Scalia.
A very highly respected law professor at Notre Dame wrote to Justice Scalia with a one sentence recommendation: “Amy Coney is the best student I ever had.” That’s pretty good. Justice Scalia hired her shortly thereafter, and we are honored to have his wonderful wife, Maureen. And a great secretary of labor [Eugene Scalia]. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Secretary Very good genes in that family, I will say, very good genes.
Before joining the bench, Judge Barrett spent 15 years as a professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School. She was renowned for her scholarship, celebrated by her colleagues and beloved by her students. Three times she was selected at Notre Dame “Distinguished Professor of the Year.” When I nominated Judge Barrett to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit in 2017, every law clerk from her time at the Supreme Court endorsed her and endorsed her nomination, writing, “We are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Yet we write to support the nomination of Professor Barrett to be a Circuit Judge. Professor Barrett is a woman of remarkable intellect and character. She is eminently qualified for the job.”
And I can tell you, I did that, too. I looked and I studied. And you are very eminently qualified for this job. You are going to be fantastic, really fantastic.
The entire Notre Dame law facility and faculty, everybody, everybody at that school also got so many letters, also wrote letters of support of Amy’s nomination to the 7th Circuit. They wrote, in effect, despite our differences, we unanimously agree that our constitutional system depends upon an independent judiciary staffed by talented people devoted to the fair and impartial administration of the rule of law. And we unanimously agree that Amy is such a person. For the last three years, Judge Barrett has served with immense distinction on the federal bench.
Amy is more than a stellar scholar and judge. She’s also a profoundly devoted mother. Her family is a core part of who Amy is. She opened her home and her heart and adopted two beautiful children from Haiti. Her incredible bond with her youngest child, a son with Down syndrome, is a true inspiration. If confirmed, Justice Barrett will make history as the first mother of school-aged children ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
To her children, Emma, Vivian, Tess, John Peter, Liam, Juliette, and Benjamin: Thank you for sharing your incredible mom with our country. Thank you very much. Amy Coney Barrett will decide cases based on the text of the Constitution, as written. As Amy has said, being a judge takes courage. You are not there to decide cases as you may prefer. You are there to do your duty and to follow the law wherever it may take you.
That is exactly what Judge Barrett will do on the U.S. Supreme Court. I want to thank the members of the Senate. We have so many of them here today.
Thank you very much. I see you in the audience and you’re so proud. But I want to thank you for your commitment and to providing a fair and timely hearing.
I know it will be that.
Judge Barrett was confirmed to the circuit court three years ago by a bipartisan vote. Her qualifications are unsurpassed, unsurpassed, and her record is beyond reproach. This should be a straightforward and prompt confirmation. Should be very easy. Good luck. It’s going to be very quick. I’m sure it’ll be extremely noncontroversial. We said that the last time, didn’t we?
Well, thank you all very much. And thank you for being here. I further urge all members of the other side of the aisle to provide Judge Barrett with the respectful and dignified hearing that she deserves and frankly, that our country deserves. I urge lawmakers and members of the media to refrain from personal or partisan attacks. And the stakes for our country are incredibly high. Rulings that the Supreme Court will issue in the coming years will decide the survival of our Second Amendment, our religious liberty, our public safety, and so much more. To maintain security, liberty and prosperity, we must preserve our priceless heritage of a nation of laws. And there is no one better to do that than Amy Coney Barrett. Law and Order is the foundation of the American system of justice.
No matter the issue, no matter the case before her, I am supremely confident that Judge Barrett will issue rulings based solely upon a fair reading of the law. She will defend the sacred principle of equal justice for citizens of every race, color, religion and creed. Congratulations again to Judge Barrett. I know that you will make our country very, very proud.
The above comes from a Sept. 26 posting on LifeSiteNews.
BARRETT
Judge Amy Coney Barrett pledged to serve all Americans with impartiality if confirmed to the Supreme Court, following her nomination by President Donald Trump on Saturday.
Speaking in the White House Rose Garden on Sept. 26, Barrett said she was “deeply honored by the confidence” placed in her by the president. “I love the United States, and I love the United States Constitution,” she said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Barrett, a Catholic, said she “will be mindful of who came before me.”
“The flag of the United States is still flying at half-staff in memory of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, to mark the end of a great American life,” she said.
“Justice Ginsburg began her career at a time when women were not welcome in the legal profession, but she not only broke glass ceilings, she smashed them. For that, she has won the admiration of women across the country and indeed the world.”
Barrett paid tribute to her potential predecessor as “a woman of enormous talent and consequence and her life of public service is an example to us all,” as well as to her own legal mentor and past Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, for whom she clerked.
The close friendship between Scalia and Ginsburg, Barrett said, is “particularly poignant to me.”
“Justices Scalia and Ginsburg disagreed fiercely in print, without rancor in person,” she said.
“Their ability to maintain a warm and rich friendship despite their differences even inspired an opera. These two great Americans demonstrated that arguments, even about matters of great consequence, need not destroy affection.”
“In both my personal and professional relationships, I strive to meet that standard.”
Barrett affirmed of Scalia that “his judicial philosophy is mine too: a judge must apply the law as written,” she said. “Judges are not policy makers, and they must be resolute in setting aside any policy views they might hold.”
In his introductory remarks in the White House Rose Garden on Saturday, President Trump noted that Barrett, if confirmed, would be the first female Supreme Court justice with school-aged children.
Barrett, a mother of seven, also paid a warm tribute to her family, noting that, if confirmed she would be the ninth justice on the court. “As it happens, I am used to being in a group of nine,” she observed.
“Our children obviously make our life very full,” she said. “While I am a judge, I am better known back home as a room-parent, carpool-driver, and birthday-party planner,” Barrett said.
“Our children are my greatest joy, even though they deprive me of any reasonable amount of sleep,” she said, while praising the “unwavering support” of her husband, Jesse Barrett, also a successful lawyer, who “does far more than his share of the work.”
“It is important, at a moment like this, to acknowledge family and friends,” Barrett said. “But this evening I also want to acknowledge you my fellow Americans. The president has nominated me to serve on the United States Supreme Court. And that institution belongs to all of us.”
“If confirmed, I would not assume that role for the sake of those in my own circle and certainly not for my own sake. I would assume this role to serve you. I would discharge the judicial oath, which requires me to administer justice without respect to persons, do[ing] equal right to the poor and rich….”
Speaking after Trump, Barrett said she “looked forward” to working with members of the Senate during the confirmation process.
“I will do my very best to demonstrate that I am worthy of your support,” she said
Barrett also said that she had “no illusions that the road ahead of me will be easy, either for the short term or the long haul.”
“I never imagined that I would find myself in this position, but now that I am,” she said, “I assure that I will meet the challenge with both humility and courage.”
The above comes from a Sept. 26 story on the Catholic News Agency.
Watch videos of Trump and Barrett remarks.
She loves the United States and the Constitution plus her life is testimony to her pro-life beliefs, what a breath of fresh air! As a jurist who has not conflated women’s rights to include killing children in the womb ala RBG, Judge Barrett has a trustworthy moral compass and sterling professional credentials. She should be confirmed without delay and welcomed to the highest court in the land.
Justice Barrett has great credentials for someone her age. Let’s consider the major problems here. The highest Court should be reserved for the keenest judicial minds available. I can see supporting her in 10 years when she has much greater breadth and depth of experience. Polls show the majority of Americans believe the nomination should happen after the election. If you have ever been involved in hiring on a professional level, you would never extend a job offer immediately after having only one interview with only one person, not even for a dog walker. I pray that wisdom will prevail in this process and not desperate expediency based solely on politics.
Your liberal talking points are meaningless considering the president has the constitutional power to make Supreme Court nominations at any point in his term. Ten years or a hundred, liberals will never support Judge Barrett and it’s all about abortion. Abortion, Annette, Abortion.
Polls also indicated that it would be President Hillary. How did that turn out?
Thank you for posting this. It’s important to hear what Judge Barrett herself has to say. And, her comments about Justices Ginsburg and Scalia are especially important in this polarized time of name-calling and a lack of serious, civil debate about issues.
Okay, now when will the California bishops issue one of their famous statements in support of this nomination and praising this woman for her faith, leadership, service and example? Any bishop who made a statement in support of George Floyd, BLM or “antiracism” or even the mealy-mouthed “desire for dialogue” about racism and police use of force but who won’t issue a statement supporting Judge Coney Barrett is henceforth exposed as a fraud.
Pray that such happens! Some evangelical leaders have already publicly supported her and decried attacks against her Christian faith. Pray that our pastors and bishops publicly support her. I know I will speak out on her behalf. This is not endorsing anyone running for office. This is supporting a fellow Catholic who believes in the Constitution and the rule of law and knows that all children are human being deserving of rights.
Apparently Mr Trump and Mr McConnell have the votes to confirm this close to the Presidential election where the President may lose and control of the Senate may change.
That is what the Constitution calls for, Trump is the current president and there is a current Supreme Court vacancy. Those are the “rules of the game,” so to speak. As the Democrats said when Obama was president, “Elections have consequences.” And, that includes the 2016 election, in effect until January. And, Trump “might” not lose and the Republicans “might” not lose their majority in the Senate. Fulfilling one’s Constitutional responsibilities should not be deferred because something “might” happen in the future. If RBG really wanted to be replaced by a liberal feminist, then she should’ve retired when Obama was president. Her grand-daughter says RBG’s dying wish was to not be replaced until a new president is in office. That might not be until 2025! And, I don’t think the late Justice would really want an eight-member Supreme Court until then (based on her own previous statements about a nine-member Court, no more and no less).
That’s President Trump.
The President and the Senate have their full Constitutional powers and roles, no matter the proximity of the next election. Democrats who decry them fulfilling their responsibilities are being disingenuous.
Judge Barrett is a fully qualified person to sit on the Supreme Court, without question. The job of the Senate is to consent to the nomination if the person is qualified. In her confirmation for the Circuit Court, her religion was brought into question. Senator Feinstein noted that her dogma lived strong within her, implying that that was a disqualification for the office. The Committee on the Judiciary will hold hearings that will have two sets of remarks: the Republicans will extol her virtues and the Democrats will focus on her writings about the ACA and abortion. It is pretty obvious that she could be the vote that would overturn Roe and the ACA. I disagree with her on the ACA. But, get ready for an overt fight to suggest that her religion disqualifies her from a seat on the high bench. A religious test is against the Constitution and against US tradition. This religious test boggy could be used against a Muslim, or any other religious belief. The true argument is the fair-is-fair notion applied to Judge Garland, which should be applied here.
So be fair Bob – look at the law, Democrat Obama acted within his power to bring forth Garland, the Republican Senate was within its power to hold off. You might not like it, but each acted fairly and Republicans won. As Obama said, elections have consequences.
Dear Fair is Fair: The Senate complete refused to act on the Garland nomination. They didn’t hold a single hearing, even in committee. They completely failed to fulfill their Constiutional obligation to advise and consent. It’s not fair is fair, it is FAILED IS FAILED.
So a Democraticic President and a Demoratic House and a Democratic Senate will make the Supreme Court an 11 judge panel. Fair is Fair.
You are ignoring the history of Supreme Court nominations when president and senate are of different parties. In the Garland situation the senate did not fail at all, they did their job and liberals screamed because they didn’t like the senate’s timeline. Tough luck.
For 169 years the Supreme Court’s had 9 members. Wouldn’t it be fun if Republicans packed the court as you suggest, how loud would be your cries and for sure you wouldn’t allow them to cop to Fair is Fair.
In Barnett you’d get a qualified, principled justice and a Catholic to boot. If you are Catholic you should be celebrating the possibility.
There is not enough history to say anything meaningful about which party holds this office or this chamber of Congress blah blah blah. The Senate had an obligation to advise and consent in 2016, and it left the seat vacant for over 400 days – more than an entire year! It didn’t do its job
The sensible way to expand the court is to pass a law in January that increases the number of justices by 2 every 4 years until we get to 17, so that in the future, the voters actually do have a say in who fills those seats, instead of the random nonsense we have now.
Barnett is not qualified, but she is on the way to being qualified. She has only been a judge for a little over 2 years.
Looking forward to referring to the supremely qualified Judge Barrett as Justice Barrett, even if you aren’t, blah blah blah.
YFC wants everything rigged in their favor, they want complete control and will rule with an iron rod, you can kiss your liberties good bye.
Nope!
Barrett’s Ginsburg comments were gratuitous. The difference between the two? Barrett thinks a judge should be a judge; Ginsburg thought a judge a legislator, in fact, a super-legislator.
Abortion, Infanticide and Euthanasia are satanic. Notorious ACB is on our side. Rejoice that we have Donald Trump the Great as President. Remember in November and vote MAGA . I pray for Trump, do you?