COVERING THIS FROM EVERY ANGLE, AND WE BEGIN WITH HALLIE
JACKSON AT THE WHITE
HOUSE.
>> Reporter: FROM
PRESIDENT TRUMP, A
MOVE TO CEMENT A MORE
CONSERVATIVE SUPREME
COURT FOR A
GENERATION.
>> TODAY, IT IS MY
HONOR TO NOMINATE ONE
OF OUR NATION’S MOST
BRILLIANT AND GIFTED
LEGAL MINDS TO THE
SUPREME COURT.
JUDGE AMY CONEY
BARRETT.
>> Reporter: AMY CONEY
BARRETT JOINED IN THE
ROSE GARDEN BY HER
HUSBAND AND THEIR
SEVEN CHILDREN.
>> WHILE I AM A JUDGE,
I’M BETTER KNOWN BACK
HOME AS A ROOM PARENT,
CARPOOL DRIVER AND
BIRTHDAY PARTY
PLANNER.
>> Reporter: SHE’S NOW
STOET FILL THE SEAT
LEFT VACANT BY RUTH
BADER GINSBURG’S
DEATH.
>> JUSTICE GINSBURG
BEGAN HER CAREER AT A
TIME WHEN WOMEN WERE
NOT WELCOME IN THE
LEGAL PROFESSION.
BUT SHE NOT ONLY BROKE
GLASS CEILINGS, SHE
SMASHED THEM.
>> Reporter: UNLIKE
GINSBURG, BARRETT IS A
COMMITTED
CONSERVATIVE.
COMMITTED CONSERVATIVE. THE FEDERAL APPEALS
COURT JUDGE WELL LIKED
BY THE PRESIDENT, KEY
REPUBLICANS, AND MANY
ON THE RELIGIOUS
RIGHT.
HER CATHOLIC FAITH, A
CORE VALUE, AND
CENTRAL TO QUESTIONS
ABOUT HOW SHE’D RULE
ON ISSUES LIKE
ABORTION.
>> IF CONFIRMED, I
WOULD NOT ASSUME THAT
ROLE FOR THE SAKE OF
THOSE IN MY OWN
CIRCLE, AND CERTAINLY
NOT FOR MY OWN SAKE.
I WOULD ASSUME THIS
ROLE TO SERVE YOU.
>> Reporter: BARRETT’S
NOMINATION INSTANTLY
CONTROVERSIAL, IN PART
FOR ITS I TIMING.
A SUPREME COURT
JUSTICE HAS NEVER BEEN
PUT ON THE BENCH SO
CLOSE TO AN ELECTION.
>> I’M SURE IT WILL BE
EXTREMELY
NONCONTROVERSIAL.
EXTREMELY NONCONTROVERSIAL. >> Reporter: NOW WITH
REPUBLICANS
CONTROLLING THE
SENATE, THE QUESTION’S
NOT SO MUCH IF BARRETT
WILL BE CONFIRMED BY
HOW SOON, WITH
CONFIRMATION HEARINGS
EXPECTED MID-OCTOBER.
>> WE NEED A FULL
COURT, AND I THINK
THAT’S POSSIBLE BEFORE
THE ELECTION.
>> Reporter: DEMOCRATS
WORKING TO CAST THE
PROCESS AS
ILLEGITIMATE.
>> TELL THEM TO ABIDE
BY JUSTICE GINSBURG’S
LAST HONORABLE WISH,
AND THAT IS, LET THE
NEXT PRESIDENT DECIDE.
>> Reporter: FOR
PRESIDENT TRUMP, A
LEGACY MOMENT.
DURING HIS TERM
APPOINTING MORE THAN
200 FEDERAL JUDGES AND
IF BARRETT IS
CONFIRMED, 3 SUPREME
COURT JUSTICES, A
RECORD RESHAPING THE
FEDERAL JUDICIARY AND
TILTING THE HIGH COURT
TO THE RIGHT WITH A
6-3 CONSERVATIVE
MAJORITY FOR YEARS TO
COME.
>> AND HALLIE, JOE
BIDEN HAS JUST WEIGHED
IN ON THE NOMINATION.
>> Reporter: HE HAS.
THE FORMER VICE
PRESIDENT IS FOCUSING
ON THE IMPLICATIONS
FOR OBAMACARE.
HE’S POINTING TO
BARRETT’S PAST
CRITIQUE OF THE
LANDMARK 2012 RULING
ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE
ACT.
YOU’RE SEEING OTHER
TOP DEMOCRATS TAKING A
SIMILAR STRATEGY,
FOCUSING ON
HEALTHCARE, IN THE
HOPES THAT WILL
MOTIVATE VOTERS WHO
BENEFIT FROM THE LAW.
JOSE?
>> HALLIE JACKSON AT
THE WHITE HOUSE, THANK
YOU.
IF CONFIRMED, BARRETT
COULD SERVE FOR
DECADES.
PETE WILLIAMS NOW WITH
MORE ON HER LIFE AND
HER CREDENTIALS.
>> Reporter: AT AGE
48, AMY CONEY BARRETT
WOULD BECOME THE
YOUNGEST MEMBER OF THE
SUPREME COURT, ABLE TO
SERVE FOR DECADES TO
COME.
A NATIVE OF NEW
ORLEANS, SHE WENT TO
COLLEGE IN TENNESSEE
AND GRADUATED FROM LAW
SCHOOL AT NOTRE DAME
WHERE SHE TAUGHT LAW
FOR 15 YEARS AND IS A
DEVOUT CATHOLIC.
SHE KNOWS THE SUPREME
COURT AS A FORMER LAW
CLERK TO JUSTICE
SCALIA.
WHEN SHE WAS A
STUDENT, SHE CO-WROTE
A LAW REVIEW ARTICLE
THAT SAID CATHOLIC
JUDGES ARE MORALLY
PRECLUDED FROM
ENFORCING THE DEATH
PENALTY.
IN 2003 SHE SUGGESTED
A KEY SUPREME COURT
DECISION UPHOLDING ROE
V. WADE WAS WRONGLY
DECIDED.
PRESIDENT TRUMP
NOMINATED HER TO THE
SEVENTH CIRCUIT COURT
OF APPEALS BASED IN
CHICAGO THREE YEARS
AGO.
AT HER APPEALS COURT
CONFIRMATION,
DEMOCRATS WONDERED
WHETHER SHE WOULD PUT
HER CATHOLIC FAITH
ABOVE THE LAW.
>> YOU HAVE A LONG
HISTORY OF BELIEVING
THAT YOUR RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS SHOULD
PREVAIL.
>> Reporter: BUT SHE
SAID SHE WOULD DECIDE
CASES BASED ON THE
LAW.
>> IT’S NEVER
APPROPRIATE FOR A
JUDGE TO IMPOSE THAT
JUDGE’S PERSONAL
CONVICTIONS, WHETHER
THEY DERIVE FROM FAITH
OR ANYWHERE ELSE ON
THE LAW.
>> Reporter: THE
SENATE CONFIRMED
BARRETT TO THE APPEALS
COURT BY A VOTE OF
55-43.
AS A JUDGE, SHE’S BEEN
SUPPORTIVE OF GUN
RIGHTS AND VOTED TO
UPHOLD A CHICAGO LAW
PREVENTING ABORTION
OPPONENTS FROM
APPROACHING WOMEN
ENTERING A CLINIC.
SHE ALSO WROTE A
DECISION MAKING IT
EASIER FOR STUDENTS TO
SUE UNIVERSITIES THAT