Prez SC pick Barrett ducks Senate’s question on abortion

WASHINGTON, October 13

President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett said on Tuesday at her US Senate confirmation hearing that her religious views would not affect her decisions on the bench and declined to say whether she believes landmark rulings legalizing abortion and gay marriage nationwide were properly decided.

‘Will follow recusal rules’

Amy Coney Barrett declined to say if she would step aside from any election-related cases that reached the court. She said she would follow standard recusal rules that give individual justices the final say.

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing also presented Barrett with a chance to respond to Democratic lawmakers who have been unified in opposing her on what they say would be her potential role in undermining the Obamacare healthcare law and its protection for patients with pre-existing conditions.

Barrett declined to say if she would step aside from any election-related cases that could reach the court. She said she would follow standard recusal rules that give individual justices the final say. She also refused to say whether she would consider stepping aside from an upcoming Obamacare case, as Democrats have requested.

— Reuters