CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has joined a 22-state coalition to urge Senate leaders to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The coalition expressed its support for Judge Barrett in a letter sent September 30 to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham and Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein.
“Judge Barrett is a distinguished legal scholar and an exceptional appellate judge with a track record of interpreting the Constitution according to its text and original public meaning,” the coalition letter states. “As we are sure your review of her exemplary record will reveal, she has the qualifications, experience, and judicial philosophy to be an outstanding Associate Justice."
The letter details Judge Barrett’s qualifications such as that she graduated at the top of her class from Notre Dame Law School. She then clerked for the late Justice Antonin Scalia and went on to serve as a law professor for 15 years at Notre Dame. During that time, she gained a reputation as a leading constitutional law expert and a prolific scholar. She has served with distinction since 2017 as a judge on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The coalition believes equally impressive is Judge Barrett’s unwavering commitment to a judicial philosophy that prioritizes restraint, humility and respect for the rule of law.
The letter notes Judge Barrett testified during her appeals court confirmation that the role of a judge is not to create law or policy or impose one’s personal convictions.
The coalition also rebuffed other criticism arguing that six justices have been confirmed during election years since 1900, including Justice Anthony Kennedy. It also cites the confirmations of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sandra Day O’Connor and John Paul Stevens in arguing that precedent exists for Judge Barrett to receive a swift confirmation.
West Virginia signed the Georgia-, Indiana- and Louisiana-led letter with attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.