Joe Biden tweeted, “The Senate shouldn’t act until after the American people select their next president and the next Congress.”
Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to be the new Supreme Court justice on Saturday, just 38 days until the presidential election.
Barrett, 48, a federal appellate judge and University of Notre Dame law professor, was chosen to replace the seat held by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last week at the age of 87.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dead at 87, Hollywood Reacts
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While announcing Barrett was his official pick from the Rose Garden, Trump said, “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.”
He added, “To maintain security, liberty, and prosperity we must preserve our priceless heritage of a nation of laws, and there’s no one better to do that than Amy Coney Barrett.”
Leading up to the nomination, critics claimed the winner of November’s presidential election should choose Ginsburg’s replacement. If Barrett is confirmed by the Senate before the election, she would be Trump’s third Supreme Court pick during his first term as president, following Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, and would bring a 6-3 conservative majority.
While the mother-of-seven’s devotion to Catholicism has found widespread support from right-wing advocates, the left fear her religious background may affect such issues as abortion rights. Liberals have also voiced their concern over Barrett’s views on healthcare, gun control and immigration.
After Trump made the announcement, celebrities, politicians and other media figures took to social media to react, including the Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who shared his disappointment over Trump’s nominee.
“Supreme Court decisions affect our everyday lives, and the Constitution was designed to give voters a voice on who makes those decisions,” Biden tweeted. “The Senate shouldn’t act until after the American people select their next president and the next Congress. Americans deserve to be heard.”
See more reactions in the tweets, below.
Today, President Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court — a jurist with a written track record of disagreeing with the Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act.
Vote like your health care is on the ballot — because it is. https://t.co/TDBQOVLP4K
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 26, 2020
@JoeBiden
Trump’s hand-picked successor to Justice Ginsburg’s seat makes it clear: they intend to destroy the Affordable Care Act & overturn Roe. This selection would move the court further right for a generation & harm millions of Americans.
I strongly oppose Judge Barrett’s nomination.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 26, 2020
@KamalaHarris
This is about —
Healthcare.
Reproductive freedom.
Our planet.
Our democracy.
Who we are and the future we want to build for generations to come.
Everything is on the line.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 26, 2020
@GavinNewsom
Disgraceful. If anyone in your life were as two-faced, callous, dishonest & selfish as this, you’d never want to associate with them. Vote them out. And then pack the courts. https://t.co/4YdtHY3PDU
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) September 26, 2020
@jfreewright
Look at this. FIGHT BACK!!! https://t.co/WMZ2P8wV0U
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) September 26, 2020
@billyeichner
Trump made a bargain in 2016: support him and he would let right-wing, pro-corporate groups hand-pick their favorites for the Supreme Court. Trump has dutifully pulled all his nominees’ names straight off the extremist-approved list. https://t.co/qKvfgbpsIw
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) September 26, 2020
@SenWarren
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