Amy Coney Barrett Will Be 115th Court Justice

Republicans got their wish Monday night: The Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court a mere eight days before the election. The vote was 52-48, with no Democrats voting in favor and Susan Collins of Maine the only Republican to vote against, reports the Hill. The 48-year-old will be sworn in later Monday as the Supreme Court's 115th justice—the fifth female justice in court history and President Trump's third selection. Justice Clarence Thomas is expected to do the honors at the White House. Democrats objected strenuously to Republicans acting on Barrett's nomination so close to an election but were powerless to stop Mitch McConnell's majority.

With Barrett on the court, conservatives will have a 6-3 majority, with cases involving the Affordable Care Act and the 2020 election on the upcoming docket, notes the Washington Post. In his speech before the vote, Democratic minority leader Charles Schumer said that Monday will go down as one of the "darkest days" in Senate history. McConnell, however, countered that Barrett was one of the most highly qualified judges to ever come before the Senate. "By any objective measure," Barrett "deserves to be confirmed to the Supreme Court," he said. (In her confirmation hearing, Barrett followed tradition and sidestepped questions about big cases that could come before the court.)