President Donald Trump on Saturday made official his intent to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat on the Supreme Court of the United States once held by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barrett is widely beloved by conservatives across the United States, especially for her writing and past decisions on abortion. Trump announced the nomination at a White House ceremony on Saturday afternoon.
Elected officials and political candidates across Alabama reacted on Saturday to the decision by Trump to nominate Barrett, who was present along with her family at the ceremony.
U.S. Senator Shelby (R-AL) released a statement Saturday evening announcing he will proudly support Barrett’s SCOTUS nomination. Shelby previously voted to confirm Barrett to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 2017.
“I am extremely pleased with President Trump’s selection in nominating Judge Barrett to the Supreme Court,” Alabama’s senior senator advised. “From her clerkship for the late Justice Scalia to her tenure on the 7th Circuit, Judge Barrett has had a distinguished career and has proven her commitment to the rule of law.”
“Our next Supreme Court Justice must be a steadfast supporter of upholding our nation’s Constitution. I have no doubt in Judge Barrett’s qualifications and I look forward to supporting her nomination,” Shelby concluded.
Alabama junior U.S. Senator Doug Jones (D-AL), as reported earlier in the week by Yellowhammer News, said he would oppose any nominee President Trump put forward, regardless of the nominee’s merits. The Democrat believes the vacancy should be filled by the winner of the presidential election on November 3.
“I will not be a party to Mitch McConnell’s power grab and I will not be a party to the further erosion of the Senate. I will not vote to confirm any Supreme Court justice nominee until after the election is concluded. The American people deserve a voice,” wrote Jones on social media.
Tommy Tuberville, former Auburn head football coach and Republican nominee to defeat Jones, posted a video to his social media accounts in which he expressed strong support for Barrett and praised Trump for the nomination.
What a day for Alabama! SEC football is back and President @realDonaldTrump has officially nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court! #FillTheSeat #MAGA #KAG2020 #ALsen pic.twitter.com/j7tx2fvfMj
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) September 26, 2020
“When it comes to giving fair consideration to President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Doug Jones is a lost ball in high cotton,” Tuberville said in the video.
Governor Kay Ivey praised the nomination, saying, “I commend President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Judge Barrett will be focused on interpreting the law, being an arbiter and not a lawmaker, as the Supreme Court demands of its justices. Based on her proven career and background, I am confident that Judge Barrett will be articulate and a fair supporter of issues important to Alabamians such as protecting the unborn and our second amendment rights, while applying the law impartially.”
“Judge Barrett will embody the precedent established by the late Justice Ginsburg and prove to the nation that a woman can be a wife, a mother, a person of faith and strong personal convictions, while still effectively performing her duties as a justice on the United States Supreme Court,” Ivey added.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall approved in the highest possible terms of Barrett’s appointment.
“Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who clerked for Justice Scalia, is a woman of unimpeachable character and integrity, an attorney of extraordinary intellect and accomplishment, and a jurist of the highest caliber and order. Her jurisprudential record is superlative, revealing a devotion to faithfully interpreting and applying the law as it was written—to safeguarding, not rewriting, the crown jewel of our Republic, the Constitution of the United States,” wrote Marshall in a statement.
“In a word, Judge Barrett is an ideal nominee for the Supreme Court,” Marshall advised.
Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill thinks that Donald Trump “could not have chosen a more prepared individual with a greater record of constitutional responsibility than Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She will serve with distinction for the next two generations!”
Jerry Carl, Mobile County commissioner and Republican nominee for the U.S. House in AL-01, told Yellowhammer News, “I’m thrilled with President Trump’s decision to nominate Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court. Barrett is a brilliant lawyer who believes in the Constitution and will serve our nation with honor and integrity. She’s someone who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not legislate from the bench. I’m confident the U.S. Senate will fulfill its duty by confirming Mrs. Barrett to the United States Supreme Court.”
“The nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court is a big win for this country. She is a defender of free speech, a protector of the Constitution, and an advocate for the most vulnerable among us. I applaud President Trump for making such a great nomination, Amy Coney Barrett will make an excellent Supreme Court Justice,” remarked U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04) in a statement.
“Amy Coney Barrett has an established record of upholding the Constitution and federal law without inserting her personal political views into her decisions. As such, I look forward to her quick confirmation by the Senate,” commented U.S. Represenative Mo Brooks (AL-05).
Brooks believes that Barrett “should easily and quickly be confirmed.”
U.S. Representative Mike Rogers (AL-03) tweeted his thanks to Trump “for nominating an incredible judge for the Supreme Court.”
“I congratulate Amy Coney Barrett on her nomination to serve on the Supreme Court, and I look forward to following her upcoming confirmation process in the Senate,” wrote U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02).
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
