WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced Saturday he was nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barrett is a justice on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. She was previously a law professor at Notre Dame and has been hailed as the heir to the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia.
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READ: Trump nominates Barrett to Supreme Court
According to the Associated Press, Barrett was considered to be a finalist in 2018 before Trump nominated Justice Brett Kavanaugh for the seat vacated when Justice Anthony Kennedy retired.
Read more: State, federal leaders react to death of iconic Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
“I am thrilled that President Trump has chosen Amy Coney Barrett to serve as the next associate justice on the Supreme Court. Barrett’s nomination is yet another fulfillment of President Trump’s promise to put justices on our Supreme Court that will preserve and respect our Constitution. Amy Coney Barrett has a proven track record of protecting our Constitution, honoring the sanctity of life, and fighting for the rule of law. America’s future is a brighter one with Amy Coney Barrett serving as the next associate justice on the United States Supreme Court.” -- Laura Cox, the Michigan Republican Chair
“Donald Trump has confirmed his number one policy priority: stripping health care from hundreds of thousands of Michiganders in the middle of a global pandemic. The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett is an unconscionable assault on the Affordable Care Act. The ACA protects people with pre-existing conditions and expanded access to Medicaid to countless families in our state. This is another attempt to use the Supreme Court to force through a dangerous agenda that was rejected by Congress and rejected by the American people. This nomination illustrates everything that is at stake this November and reminds voters across our state we must send Joe Biden to the White House and re-elect Gary Peters to the Senate to fight for our working families.” -- The Michigan Democratic Party
“In selecting Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump has picked an exceptionally qualified constitutionalist to serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court justice. Judge Barrett’s stellar career and character shows she is someone who recognizes the proper role of a Supreme Court justice is to interpret the Constitution as written, not to legislate from the bench.” -- The Republican National Committee
“This nomination is a reminder of how important it is for Americans everywhere to make their voice heard at the ballot box this November. Health care for millions of Americans is on the line. Women’s right to autonomy over our bodies is on the line. The president and Republicans across the country have proven time and again that they don’t share our values. They are working tirelessly to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in our courts in the midst of a global pandemic. They don’t believe women have the right to choose what happens to our own bodies. We must hold them accountable. Register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and return it quickly. Let us turn our grief into action, let us choose hope over fear, and let us find the strength to build a stronger America for everyone.” -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
"The Supreme Court’s rulings have a profound impact on the lives and livelihoods of Michiganders and all Americans. Soon it will hear the lawsuit pushed by the Trump Administration to end health protections for people with pre-existing conditions. This could return us to the days when insurance companies called the shots on health care for Michiganders—when getting sick or having cancer could result in losing health care or facing financial ruin; women could be charged more for care; people could lose coverage for hitting an annual or lifetime limit; and seniors could be charged more for prescription drugs. From health care to women’s reproductive rights to whether workers have a level playing field against corporate special interests, there could not be more at stake.
“Michiganders have already started voting and with Election Day 38 days away — they deserve to have a say in who nominates and confirms the next Supreme Court justice. As I have said before, I do not support the Senate moving forward on a Supreme Court nomination until after Inauguration Day. I will vote against confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime appointment on our nation’s highest court.” -- Sen. Gary Peters
“A new Supreme Court Justice will make decisions that directly impact our daily lives and our way of life as Americans—including our health care. This nominee’s record and writings make it clear that a vote for her is a vote to strip health care away from millions of Americans during the middle of a pandemic. The people of Michigan have the right to cast their votes and decide the future of their health care as well as the future of our country. I will honor their right as well as the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by opposing this nominee.” -- Sen. Debbie Stabenow