On Oct. 26, Amy Coney Barrett made history as she was officially confirmed as the next Supreme Court justice of the United States of America. After several weeks of high intensity meetings, hearings and questioning, Barrett became the newest member of the nation’s highest court after a 52-48 vote in the Senate secured her confirmation. 

Barrett was initially nominated days after then-Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away at the age of 87. President Donald J.Trump announced his intention to nominate Barrett on Sept. 26, and also expressed his intentions to move forward with the confirmation process as quickly as possible. 

Barrett’s nomination caused an uproar amongst Democrats, who argued that the winner of the 2020 presidential election should be the one to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court, as was done when Antonin Scalia passed away in 2016. Republicans countered this, noting that the President during this time, Barack Obama, was a Democrat, while Republicans controlled the Senate; in this situation, Republicans control both the Presidency and the Senate. 

Despite multiple protests from numerous Democratic senators, the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee proceeded with Barrett’s nomination. During her Senate hearings, Barrett noted that as a judge, she would stay away from committing to any “agendas” when it came to ruling on possible future decisions regarding the Affordable Care Act and Roe v. Wade. She also noted her Catholic faith, but expressed that she would not let her beliefs affect her rulings. 

Barrett’s confirmation brings the number of conservative justices on the bench to six, three of whom were selected by Trump (Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh). While her nomination has remained a polarizing subject, Amy Coney Barrett has captivated the attention of Americans across the country. 51% of Americans supported the Senate confirming her, while 28% opposed it and 21% had no opinion.