LITTLE ROCK, Ark — On September 26, President Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat vacated by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barrett, a former clerk to the late Justice Antonin Scalia, said she was “truly humbled” by the nomination and quickly aligned herself with Scalia's conservative approach to the law, saying that his “judicial philosophy is mine, too."
She would be the sixth justice on the nine-member court to be appointed by a Republican president, and the third of Trump’s first term in office.
Arkansas officials are reacting to the nomination. Their full statements can be read below:
“Judge Amy Coney Barrett will make an excellent Supreme Court justice,” Governor Hutchinson said. “From her clerkship for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, prestigious career at Notre Dame and judicial experience on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Barrett’s commitment to the rule of law is clear. She is a sound jurist whose years of legal service will bring much-needed diversity to the Supreme Court. President Trump has made a wise choice.” -Gov. Asa Hutchinson
“President Trump has once again nominated an exceptional legal scholar to serve on the nation’s highest court and protect our Constitution,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “Judge Barrett has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit since 2017. Before that, she distinguished herself as a constitutional scholar during nearly two decades as a respected member of the faculty at her alma mater Notre Dame Law School after clerking for Justice Antonin Scalia. Judge Barrett has published many articles in leading law reviews throughout the country. She has done all this while raising seven children. Judge Barrett’s resume, experience and deeply held faith make her the perfect selection for our country. I look forward to working with President Trump and the U.S. Senate to assist with getting Judge Barrett confirmed.” -Attorney General Leslie Rutledge
“I congratulate Amy Coney Barrett on her nomination to serve as a member of the Supreme Court. With her extensive legal and academic experience, she is well qualified for the job. As with previous justices nominated by President Trump, Judge Barrett has shown that she understands her Constitutional role and refrains from legislating from the bench. I have every reason to believe she will continue that same approach on the nation’s highest court. I look forward to meeting her and evaluating her nomination on the merits as the Senate proceeds with the confirmation process.” -Sen. John Boozman
“Judge Amy Coney Barrett is one of the finest legal minds of her generation and has now proven to be a wise judge as well. I congratulate Judge Barrett on her nomination and I commend President Trump for another outstanding choice. The Senate voted to confirm Judge Barrett to the Court of Appeals not even three years ago; since then, she has exceeded our high expectations for faithfully applying the law and upholding our Constitution. I therefore look forward to voting promptly for Judge Barrett next month and confirming her to the highest court in the land.” -Sen. Tom Cotton