Amy Coney Barrett Sworn In As Supreme Court Justice After Senate Confirmation
Judge Amy Coney Barrett took the first of her two oaths as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice on Monday night — administered by Justice Clarence Thomas at the White House Rose Garden after the Senate voted to confirm her nomination.
What Happened: "The oath that I have solemnly taken tonight means at its core that I will do my job without any fear or favor — and that I will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences," Barrett said during a speech at the swearing-in ceremony in the presence of President Donald Trump.
"I love the Constitution and the Democratic Republic that it establishes and I will devote myself to preserving it," the newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice added.
Barrett "is one of our Nation's most brilliant legal scholars, and she will make an outstanding justice on the highest court in our land," Trump said during the oath-taking ceremony.
"She will issue rulings based solely upon a faithful reading of the law and the Constitution as written not legislate from the bench,” the president added.
Barrett will be administered a second "judicial" oath by Chief Justice John Roberts at a private ceremony at the court later on Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Monday night.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) broke away from the party line to vote against the confirmation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who had kept her vote private and suggested Senate shouldn't be considering a Supreme Court nomination this close to the election, announced last minute that she would be voting in favor of Barrett's confirmation.
Why It Matters: Barrett has become the fifth woman to be elevated as a Supreme Court Justice — and the first to be confirmed without a single vote from a minority party, reports the New York Times.
The newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice is seen as a conservative that would reportedly tip the bench towards the right on issues such as health care, gun laws, and abortion.
Barrett takes the place of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month. Ginsburg had expressed a “fervent wish” that she “not be replaced until a new president is installed.”
See Also: Here's What I Observed At Amy Coney Barrett's Rose Garden Ceremony
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