Barrett, 50, replaced Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a progressive icon who died in 2020. The transition cemented the conservatives’ hold, giving them a 6-3 advantage for the first time in decades.
“Her presence and her vote speak volumes,” said John Malcolm, vice president of the Institute for Constitutional Government at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “Obviously, Barrett was the complete opposite of where Ginsburg would have been.”
In the most closely watched case of the term that ended in June, Chief Justice John Roberts supported upholding Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks but opposed ending a constitutional right to abortion at all stages of pregnancy. Though she did not write an opinion, Barrett’s presence on the court made the difference, providing the fifth vote necessary to overturn Roe. Read more…
