在参议院确认艾米·科尼·巴雷特法官进入最高法院后，白宫举行了一个仪式，克拉伦斯·托马斯法官在仪式上对巴雷特进行了正式的宪法宣誓。
最高法院的法官在履行其指定的职责之前，需要宣誓两次:宪法宣誓和司法宣誓。
巴雷特将于周二在最高法院的私人仪式上进行司法宣誓。宣誓后，她将正式成为法庭诉讼的积极参与者。
宣誓后，巴雷特在今晚的白宫仪式上发表了简短的讲话，谈到了联邦法官在她的决策中搁置她的政策偏好的必要性。
乔纳森·恩斯特/路透社
2020年10月26日，美国最高法院大法官克拉伦斯·托马斯在白宫南草坪，在丈夫杰西·巴雷特(Jesse Barrett)和美国总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的陪同下，主持法官艾米·科尼·巴雷特(Amy Coney Barrett)宣誓就任最高法院助理法官。
“确认过程使我更加清楚联邦司法机构和美国参议院之间的一个根本区别。或许最尖锐的是政策偏好的作用，”巴雷特说。“追求自己的政策偏好是参议员的工作。事实上，她把政策目标放在一边是一种失职。相比之下，抵制她的政策偏好是法官的工作。她向他们屈服是一种失职。联邦法官不参加选举。因此，他们没有理由声称他们的偏好反映了人民的偏好。这种职责与政治偏好的分离使得司法机构在政府的三个分支中截然不同。”
就在巴雷特准备在选举前一周加入法院的时候——民主党人担心她会干预任何因投票而产生的争议——巴雷特补充说，“一名法官不仅宣布独立于国会和总统，而且宣布独立于私人信仰，否则这些信仰可能会打动她。”
“我今晚庄严宣誓的核心意思是，我将不带任何恐惧或偏袒地履行我的职责，我将独立于政治部门和我自己的偏好，”他说。
亚历克斯·布兰登/美联社
2020年10月26日晚上早些时候，参议院确认艾米·科尼·巴雷特为最高法院法官后，唐纳德·特朗普总统在白宫南草坪向最高法院法官克拉伦斯·托马斯宣读了对艾米·科尼·巴雷特的宪法宣誓。
特朗普在开幕词中称这是美国、宪法和公平公正的法治的重要一天。
“宪法是美国自由的最终保障，忠实地应用法律是我们共和国的基石。这就是为什么作为总统，我没有比任命最高法院法官更庄严、更光荣的义务，”唐纳德·特朗普总统在南草坪的仪式开始时说。
特朗普继续说道:“巴雷特大法官填补鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格大法官这个真正的女性先锋的席位是非常合适的。”。“今晚，巴雷特法官不仅成为第五位在美国最高法院任职的女性，也是第一位成为最高法院法官的学龄儿童的母亲。非常重要。”
一名白宫高级官员在一份声明中说，所有与会者都需要戴面罩，就座的观众在南草坪上保持社交距离。与总统“非常接近”的人将事先接受测试。
白宫拒绝就与会者人数置评，但一份泳池报告显示，草坪上大约有200把椅子。
参议员李政颖在参加了9月26日在玫瑰园举行的巴雷特提名活动六天后检测呈阳性，他戴着口罩参加了周一晚上的仪式。有人看到他在活动开始前与国家安全顾问罗伯特·奥布赖恩交谈。同样戴着口罩的奥布莱恩7月份在新冠肺炎检测呈阳性。
仪式结束后，巴雷特和特朗普走到南门廊，在他们各自的配偶加入之前，为镜头摆了个姿势。所有人都没有戴面具。他们四人和一个没有面具的托马斯一起走进了白宫。
美联社参议院电视台
2020年10月26日，在国会大厦，参议院投票确认艾米·科尼·巴雷特成为最高法院法官。
参议院投票在晚上8点前开始，几分钟后就结束了。投票结果是52比48。缅因州共和党参议员苏珊·科林斯是唯一一个加入一致投票反对确认的民主党人的共和党人。这是美国历史上最高法院确认票数最少的一次。
这一点与1991年托马斯的确认投票相同。布雷特·卡瓦诺法官在2018年以50票对48票获得确认。金斯伯格在1993年被确认为96-3。
“这是100年来最保守的法庭，”卡多佐法学院教授、美国广播公司新闻撰稿人凯特·肖在接受采访时说美国广播公司新闻直播。
美联社参议院电视台
2020年10月26日，在国会大厦，参议院投票确认艾米·科尼·巴雷特成为最高法院法官。
48岁时，巴雷特成为宫廷中最年轻的成员，并将世世代代留在那里。她作为第115位大法官创造了历史，也是第5位女性。她是学龄儿童的第一位母亲，也是唯一没有从常春藤盟校毕业的法院成员。
周日，参议员们按照政党路线投票，推翻了民主党对巴雷特的阻挠，以取代已故的自由派偶像鲁斯·巴德·金斯伯格法官。缅因州的科林斯和阿拉斯加州的莉萨·穆尔科斯基加入了民主党的投票。
穆尔科斯基最初反对在离选举如此近的时候提名人，她说“公平就是公平”，因为她自己的政党在2016年阻止了巴拉克·奥巴马总统在选举前八个月选择接替已故大法官安东宁·斯卡利亚(Antonin Scalia)，但随着共和党获得必要的确认票，穆尔科斯基改变了路线。
“虽然我反对导致我们走到这一步的过程，”穆尔科斯基在周六的演讲中说。"我并不认为她是一个以优雅、技巧和谦逊的态度接受挑战的人。"
这一举动使得柯林斯在周一投票反对巴雷特的共和党反对派中处于孤立地位。柯林斯在一个温和的州为连任进行着极其艰难的斗争，她因过去支持保守派法学家而受到抨击，包括特朗普极具争议的提名人司法部(Justice)布雷特·卡瓦诺。
Following confirmation to Supreme Court, Barrett takes 1st oath at White House
Following the Senate's confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, the White House hosted a ceremony where Justice Clarence Thomas administered the official constitutional oath to Barrett.
Supreme Court justices are required to take two oaths before they may execute the duties of their appointed office: the constitutional oath and the judicial oath.
Barrett will take the judicial oath on Tuesday in a private ceremony at the Supreme Court. Following that oath, she will officially become an active participant in court proceedings.
After taking the constitutional oath, Barrett used her brief remarks at the White House ceremony tonight to speak about the need for a federal judge to case aside her policy preferences in her decision-making.
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is sworn in to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as her husband Jesse Barrett and President Donald Trump watch on the South Lawn of the White House, Oct. 26, 2020.
"The confirmation process has made ever clearer to me one of the fundamental differences between the federal judiciary and the United States Senate. And perhaps the most acute is the role of policy preferences," Barrett said. "It is the job of a senator to pursue her policy preferences. In fact, it would be a dereliction of duty for her to put policy goals aside. By contrast, it is the job of a judge to resist her policy preferences. It would be a dereliction of duty for her to give into them. Federal judges don't stand for election. Thus, they have no basis for claiming that their preferences reflect those of the people. This separation of duty from political preference is what makes the judiciary distinct among the three branches of government."
As Barrett gets ready to join the court just one week before the election -- and Democrats fear she’ll intervene in any disputes arising from the vote -- Barrett added, “A judge declares independence not only from Congress and the president but also from the private beliefs that might otherwise move her.”
"The oath that I have solemnly taken tonight means at its core that I will do my job without any fear or favor, and that I will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences," said said.
President Donald Trump speaks before Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administers the Constitutional Oath to Amy Coney Barrett on the South Lawn of the White House White House, Oct. 26, 2020, after Barrett was confirmed to be a Supreme Court justice by the Senate earlier in the evening.
In his opening remarks, Trump called it a momentous day for America, the Constitution and the fair and impartial rule of law.
"The Constitution is the ultimate defense of American liberty, the faithful application of the law is the cornerstone of our republic. That is why as president I have no more solemn obligation of no greater honor than to appoint Supreme Court justices," President Donald Trump said at the beginning of the ceremony on the South Lawn.
"It is highly fitting that Justice Barrett fills the seat of a true pioneer for women, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg," Trump continued. "Tonight, Justice Barrett becomes not only the fifth woman to serve on our nation's highest court, but the very first mother of school-aged children to become a Supreme Court justice. Very important."
Face coverings were required for all those attending, a senior White House official said in a statement, and the seated audience was socially distanced on the South Lawn. People "in close proximity" to the president were to be tested in advance.
The White House declined to comment on the number of attendees, but a pool report indicated there were about 200 chairs set up on the lawn.
Sen. Mike Lee, who tested positive six days after attending Barrett's Sept. 26 nominating event in the Rose Garden, attended Monday night's ceremony clad in a face mask. He was seen talking to national security adviser Robert O'Brien ahead of the event. O'Brien, also wearing a mask, tested positive for COVID-19 in July.
After the ceremony concluded, Barrett and Trump walked up to the South Portico and posed for cameras before being joined by their respective spouses. All were mask-less. The four of them, joined by a mask-less Thomas, proceeded into the White House.
In this image from video, the vote total in the Senate on the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to become a Supreme Court justice at the Capitol, Oct. 26, 2020.
The Senate floor vote began shortly before 8 p.m. and was completed in minutes. The vote was 52-48. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was the lone Republican to join the Democrats who unanimously voted against the confirmation. It was one of the narrowest Supreme Court confirmation votes in American history.
The count was the same as the confirmation vote for Thomas in 1991. Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed by a vote of 50-48 in 2018. Ginsburg was confirmed 96-3 in 1993.
It's "the most conservative court in 100 years," Kate Shaw, Cardozo School of Law professor and ABC News Contributor, said onABC News Live Prime.
In this image from video, the vote total in the Senate on the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to become a Supreme Court justice at the Capitol, Oct. 26, 2020.
At 48, Barrett becomes the youngest member of the court and will be there for generations. She's made history as the 115th justice -- and just the 5th woman to serve. She is the first mother of school-aged children and the only member of the court who did not graduate from the Ivy League.
On Sunday, senators voted along party lines to quash a Democratic filibuster of Barrett to replace the late liberal icon, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, joined Democrats in the vote.
Murkowski had initially opposed moving a nominee so close to the election, saying "fair is fair" given that her own party had blockaded President Barack Obama's pick in 2016 to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia eight months before the election, but with Republicans securing the necessary votes for confirmation, Murkowski has changed course.
"While I oppose the process that has led us to this point," Murkowski said in a Saturday floor speech. "I do not hold it against her as an individual who has navigated the gauntlet with grace, skill and humility."
That move left Collins alone among the GOP opposition who voted against Barrett on Monday. Collins is in an extremely difficult fight for reelection in a moderate state where she has been lambasted for her past support of conservative jurists, including Trump's highly contentious nominee, JusticeBrett Kavanaugh.
