Barrett ‘just here to apply the law’
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, said yesterday she gave no commitments to the White House on how she would rule on Obamacare or electionrelated cases, and declined to say if she believed landmark rulings legalising abortion and gay marriage were properly decided.
During 11 hours of questioning on the second day of her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing, Barrett opted not to say whether she would step aside from taking part in a major Obamacare case to be argued on November 10 or in any disputes arising from the November 3 election.
‘‘I am not here on a mission to destroy the Affordable Care Act,’’ Barrett said.
‘‘I’m just here to apply the law and adhere to the rule of law.’’
While Democrats were persistent in their questioning, Barrett nimbly sidestepped questions on her views on abortion, LGBT rights, gun control and voting rights.
In the Obamacare case, Barrett said it centred on a different legal issue from two previous Supreme Court rulings that upheld Obamacare that she has criticised.
Barrett said noone at the White House sought a commitment from her on how she would rule on that or any other issue.
In declining to commit to stepping aside on politically charged cases in light of her nomination so near an election and comments made by Trump on the issues, Barrett said she would follow rules giving justices the final say on recusal amid questions about impartiality.
Abortion rights advocates fear Barrett would vote to overturn the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion nationwide. Asked about the ruling, Barrett said she would consider the usual factors in whether to overturn a precedent.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the panel’s top Democrat, asked Barrett whether she agreed with her mentor, the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, that Roe v Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned.
After Barrett sidestepped, Feinstein told her that ‘‘it’s distressing not to get a straight answer’’. — Reuters