'Wouldn't allow myself to become a pawn in deciding election disputes': Amy Coney Barret

Judge Amy Coney Barret, a nominee for the Supreme Court by the US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that she wouldn't be a "pawn" in deciding election disputes. While addressing the Senate Judiciary Committee on the second day of her Supreme Court confirmation, she promised to undertake the election process very seriously and also consider every relevant factor of the election disputes. Barret added that she hopes all the members of the committee have strong confidence in her integrity. 

CNN quoted Amy Coney Barret saying, "I certainly hope that all members of the committee have more confidence in my integrity than to think that I would allow myself to be used as a pawn to decide this election for the American people."

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Amy Coney Barret: 'I assure you of my integrity'

Barret said, "I promise you that if I were confirmed and if an election dispute arises, both of which are ifs, that I would very seriously undertake that process and I would consider every relevant factor. I can't commit to you right now for the reasons that we've talked about before, but I do assure you of my integrity and I do assure you that I would take that question very seriously."

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While responding to one of the senators, Amy Klobuchar's issue of Trump's plan to get his supporters to the polls to 'observe voting activity', Barret declined to respond directly and addressed the issue as a 'hypothetical situation'. She added that she can only decide cases if they come to her litigated by parties on a full record. Further addressing questions based on Trump's tweets on overturning the Affordable Care Act, she said that she 'cannot speak' for the President. Stating her 100 per cent commitment to judicial independence from political pressure, Barret said that she is not pre-committed to decide any case. 

READ | Barrett: Supreme Court Should Not Be Politicized

Kamala Harris criticises Amy Coney Barret

US Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, along with her fellow party members, on October 12 termed President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett as a threat to the Obamacare healthcare law amid the deadly coronavirus pandemic. As the Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearing for Barrett, Democrats voiced their opposition and denounced the Republican drive to approve her before the November 3 election. 

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While speaking via a video link, Harris said that she believes the hearing is a clear attempt to jam through a Supreme Court nominee who will take away healthcare from millions of people during a deadly pandemic that has already killed over 200,000 Americans. She added that the Republicans know what ‘clear majority of Americans’ want and yet they are ‘deliberately defying’ the will of people in their attempt to roll back the rights and protections provided under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The 2010 ACA was signed by former President Barack Obama and it enabled millions of Americans to obtain medical coverage.

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(With ANI inputs)