Indiana leaders react to Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court nomination

Sep. 26--Reaction came quickly from Indiana leaders on Saturday following the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the U.S. Supreme Court.

President Trump officially named Barrett, 48, a Notre Dame law professor and a member of the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, as his choice to take the place of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The president made the announcement in the White House Rose Garden with Barrett's family, several senators and Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John Jenkins, in attendance.

"The same impressive intellect, character and temperament that made Judge Barrett a successful nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals will serve her and the nation equally well as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court," Jenkins said in a statement. "She is a person of the utmost integrity who, as a jurist, acts first and foremost in accordance with the law."

Marcus Cole, dean of the Notre Dame Law School, also was in attendance. He called Barrett a brilliant legal scholar, jurist and teacher, as well as one of the kindest people he has met.

"Judge Barrett has served our nation with true distinction from the bench, and would continue to do so if she were confirmed to serve on our nation's highest court," Cole said in a statement.

Indiana Republican Senators Todd Young and Mike Braun issued releases praising the nomination of a fellow Hoosier and said they look forward to supporting her nomination.

"I've come to know Amy as an incredibly sharp legal mind, a woman of great integrity, and a dedicated mother of seven," Young said. "When Americans elected President Trump to office in 2016 and expanded the Republican Senate majority in 2018, she was exactly the type of jurist they had in mind."

Both senators also denounced the inquiries about Barrett's Catholic faith during her previous confirmation hearing, for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and said her religion should have nothing to do with the review of her legal credentials.

"Though Democrats are sure to continue their misguided campaign to paint Judge Barrett as an extremist, it's clear when reviewing her record as a jurist and teacher the only thing extreme about her commitment to moral character and generosity," Braun said.

U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, also a Republican, offered similar praise for Barrett.

"I can think of no one better qualified to serve on the Supreme Court than my fellow Hoosier, Judge Amy Coney Barrett," Walorski said in a statement. "Her record as a Notre Dame law professor and as an appellate judge demonstrates her first-rate legal mind and her unwavering commitment to constitutional principles. Given her impeccable credentials, the Senate should confirm her nomination without delay."

Indiana's Republican governor, Eric Holcomb, tweeted on Saturday: "Judge Barrett's compelling combination of experience and intellect would serve our country well on the Supreme Court bench, adding another healthy dose of Hoosier hospitality to our nation's capital."

Democrats react

Several Democrats on Saturday released statements repeating their argument that Ginsburg's seat should not be filled before the November election.

"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," said Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan. "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."

Those thoughts were echoed by fellow Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, pointing out that he would not support the Senate moving forward with a nomination before Inauguration Day.

"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," he said.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Saturday also repeated the argument that Ginsburg's seat should not be filled until after the election. He also singled out the Affordable Care Act, and the fear that it would be dismantled, when referencing Barrett.

"She has a written track record of disagreeing with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care Act," Biden said in a statement. "She critiqued Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion upholding the law in 2012."

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