Barrett Faces US Supreme Court Hearing, Avoids Aggression with Principled Answers... "Formulaic Responses" (Comprehensive)

Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Nominee Second Hearing
Responds to Democratic Party's Rigorous Scrutiny: "Personal Beliefs Differ from Judicial Decisions"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the second Senate confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett, the U.S. Supreme Court nominee, is underway, the U.S. Democratic Party has intensified its offensive with ideological scrutiny, while Barrett is being evaluated as skillfully avoiding the attacks by responding to controversial issues with principled positions.

According to local U.S. media such as The New York Times (NYT), during the Senate confirmation hearing for Amy Coney Barrett held on the 13th (local time), the Democrats increased their offensive by demanding ideological scrutiny-style answers focusing on sensitive issues. In response, Barrett reportedly avoided the attacks by emphasizing that "personal beliefs and judicial judgment are different," responding with principled positions.

At the hearing, Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic Judiciary Committee ranking member, posed a sharp question to Barrett, asking, "How would you handle abortion-related cases such as the 'Roe v. Wade' decision that recognized women's abortion rights?" Barrett avoided answering by saying, "I cannot express an opinion on cases. I cannot make promises in advance." Although Senator Feinstein pointed out, "It is painful not to hear a good answer," Barrett maintained her position and avoided the offensive. Barrett, known as a conservative and devout Catholic, has consistently opposed abortion, leading to expectations that the Democrats would focus their attacks on this issue.

Senator Feinstein then referred to Barrett’s experience as a law clerk for the representative conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, asking, "When the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, Scalia opposed it. Do you agree with his opinion?" Barrett responded only with a principled answer, saying, "I will not discriminate based on sexual preference," instead of agreeing or disagreeing.

Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar opened the questioning with a stance related to Obamacare. When Senator Klobuchar asked, "What do you think about President Trump’s tweet saying that the Supreme Court justices he appointed will repeal Obamacare?" Barrett avoided answering, saying, "That is not something I can discuss." Then, when Democratic Senator Chris Coons mentioned Barrett’s past position by saying, "You posted criticism of Chief Justice John Roberts, who supported Obamacare in the 2017 Supreme Court ruling," Barrett countered, "I am not on a mission to destroy Obamacare."

When Senator Klobuchar asked, "President Trump is encouraging his supporters to monitor voting activities by calling them to the polls. Is voter intimidation illegal?" Barrett avoided the offensive by saying, "That is a hypothetical situation, not an actual one," and "The law cannot be applied to questions based on assumptions." Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy criticized Barrett’s answers as "formulaic responses."

Nevertheless, Barrett consistently maintained neutral answers even to questions from the Republican side. During the hearing, Republican Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham called Obamacare a "disaster" and asked Barrett, "If appointed, should the Supreme Court recuse itself from the ongoing Obamacare lawsuit simply because President Donald Trump nominated you?" Barrett avoided a definitive answer, saying, "Recusal itself is a legal issue," and "This is not a question that can be answered abstractly."

CNN reported that despite the fierce Democratic offensive, Barrett appropriately avoided the attacks by sticking to principled answers. The hearing, which began the previous day, is scheduled to continue for four days, including Q&A on the 14th and witness testimonies on the 15th.

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