By now, the name Amy Coney Barrett rings a bell for many Americans. After weeks of deliberation, President Trump has nominated Barrett to fill the seat previously held by the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Many have expressed feelings of anger and fear toward Barrett, largely attributed to her nomination so soon after the death of Justice Ginsburg. Others have voiced concern that the SCOTUS nominee will make her decisions based upon her own faith rather than the Constitution. 

Barrett is known to be both a devout Catholic and a conservative. Questions have been raised in response to Barrett’s standings on matters such as same sex marriage and abortion. She is known to be an originalist, some having gone so far as to dub her a “female Scalia,” referencing the late Justice Antonin Scalia. The ideology promotes the interpretation of the Constitution based upon the intent of its authors. 

A point of major contention surrounding Barrett stems from her religious background. Said Sen. Diane Feinstein, “The dogma lives loudly within you.” Barrett has made it no secret that she is firmly pro-life. The nominee’s opinions on landmark trials such as Roe v. Wade have only contributed to some of the controversy surrounding her. 

Looking beyond her current place in the media, Amy Coney Barrett is a mother of seven children, two of which she and her husband adopted. She graduated from Notre Dame Law School as the top of her class, and pursued work in law, and education. If elected, Barrett would be the fifth woman to serve the Supreme Court, and the youngest – at the age of 48 – since Clarence Thomas. 

Currently, Sen. Chuck Schumer has made efforts to delay Barrett’s confirmation, though these efforts were deflected. Many, like Schumer, feel as though the confirmation process is rushed and unconstitutional. Others, like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have defended Barrett. 

In a tweet released by McConnell on October 19th, “Last week, Judge Barrett proved she has the deep legal expertise, judicial temperament, and intellectual horsepower that Americans deserve to have on the Supreme Court.”

The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett is yet to be decided.