Judge Amy Coney Barrett opened the second day of her confirmation hearing by answering whether her lifestyle and faith would influence her decisions on the Supreme Court.
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham asked Barrett about her Catholic faith, how it feels to be nominated to the Supreme Court, and even whether she owns a gun — questions that relate the Second Amendment and freedom of religion.
“We do own a gun,” Barrett, who serves on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, answered when Graham asked her about her “personal views about the topic.”
Barrett answered “yes” when Graham asked if she “could fairly decide a case,” even though she owns a gun.
Graham asked Barrett if she could “set aside whatever Catholic beliefs you have” regarding cases before the Supreme Court.
“I can, and I have done that in my time on the 7th Circuit,” Barrett said. “If I stay on the 7th Circuit, I’ll continue to do that. If I’m confirmed to the Supreme Court, I will do that.”
Barrett, 48, talked about her decision to accept the nomination and the “very difficult, some might say excruciating, process” to get confirmed.
Barrett told the panel that she tried “to be on a media blackout for the sake of my mental health,” but she said she’s aware of “caricatures floating around” about the mother of seven and her Catholic faith.
“We knew that our lives would be combed over,” Barrett told the panel. “We had to decide whether these difficulties would be worth it. What sane person would go through that if there wasn’t a benefit on the other side?”
Barrett said she ultimately decided to accept the nomination.
“I should serve my country, and my family is all in on that because they share my belief in the rule of law,” Barrett said.
