By Danni Harris
Just a little under a month short of election day, President Donald Trump has decided to nominate Judge Amy Barrett for the Supreme Court. If elected, Barrett will fill the vacant seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Although the Supreme Court Justice hearings are still in session, President Trump is adamant about electing another Supreme Court Justice. The Senate has not yet confirmed the nomination, but Trump is anticipating having the nomination confirmed before election day, Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.
Former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was elected in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She served until her death. She died at the age of 87 in September of 2020. Throughout her tenure, Ginsberg advocated for social justice issues, including women’s rights and healthcare.
Trump’s nominee is a complete opposite. Judge Barrett is a conservative and is pro-life. She is against abortion and is working towards reforming and removing the landmark case Roe v. Wade, making abortions legal.
Ironically, the same actions being pulled by President Trump were not allowed in 2016.
In the spring of 2016, former President Barack Obama attempted to nominate Judge Merrick B. Garland for a Supreme Court seat. Mr. Obama
announced his nomination 237 days before election day but was still turned down.
Judge Garland was nominated to fill the seat of recently deceased Justice Antonin Scalia. Even though Judge Garland was an awaited nominee, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denied all appointment nominees made by sitting presidents. The nominee was to be made by the next elected president. The announcement was made just a few hours after Judge Scalia’s death and before Mr. Obama’s nomination.
Historically, other Supreme Court Justices have been approved in the presidential election years. Those justices were elected before July of those years, while President Trump is attempting to appoint a nominee three weeks before election day. Some would say this is a last-minute attempt at exerting authority since Mr. Trump has been trailing Vice President and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden this entire election.
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