Jim Lo Scalzo – Pool/Getty Images
- Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, signed on to an ad that labeled the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion as “infamous” in 2013, according to Bloomberg.
- Barrett previously omitted information revealing that she had signed on to an anti-abortion ad in 2006.
- Senate Democrats on the Judiciary Committee said that the process for collecting relevant documents “has been rushed, for no legitimate reason.”
- Despite the coronavirus pandemic that has swept the country, Senate Republicans are racing to confirm Barrett before the November general election.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday which revealed that she signed on to an ad that labeled the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion as “infamous” and stated that “over 55 million unborn children” had been killed by the procedure, according to Bloomberg.
The newspaper ad, which was sponsored by the University Faculty for Life and Fund to Protect Human Life at the University of Notre Dame, was published in January 2013 and features the names of over 100 faculty members, according to Bloomberg. Barrett has served as a faculty member at the University of Notre Dame Law School since 2002.
“In the 40 years since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision, over 55 million unborn children have been killed by abortions,” the ad stated. “We faculty and staff at the University of Notre Dame reaffirm our full support for our university’s commitment to the right to life, we renew our call for the unborn to be protected in law and welcomed in life, and we voice our love and support for the mothers that bear them.”
As Barrett’s hearings are scheduled to begin on Monday, Oct. 12, Senate Democrats are continuing to question her position on Roe v. Wade, the most consequential issue surrounding her nomination. If she is confirmed to the court, there would be a 6-3 conservative majority that could potentially overturn the 1973 decision.
The new Senate filing comes on the tail end of omission from Barrett where she signed on to an ad by the St. Joseph County Right to Life, also known as Right to Life Michiana. That ad was printed in the South Bend Tribune in 2006, with the group stating that they were opposed to “abortion on demand” and praying “to end abortion,” according to the Guardian.
The Right to Life group traces its origins to 1972, a year before the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling. Since then, the group has voiced its opposition to the procedure through organized protests and media outreach, according to its website.
The Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, are not pleased with the handling of the nomination, stating that Barrett's earlier omission "raises concerns that the process of collecting materials responsive to the [committee], like the nomination process itself, has been rushed, for no legitimate reason."
It isn't uncommon for judicial nominees to submit additional information to the required questionnaires, which seek published writings. Similar to Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, Barrett has not directly said how she would rule in abortion-related cases.
Senate Republicans are planning for Barrett's final confirmation vote to occur before the November election.