Amy Coney Barret was confirmed by the Senate to become a Supreme Court Justice on October 26, 2020, according to whitehouse.gov. She was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in by Justice Clarence Thomas to fill the vacancy left after Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing. Amy Coney Barrett is going to be the 5th woman to become a Supreme Court Justice, and the 115th Supreme Court Justice ever. A new judge being confirmed to the Supreme is always important, but Barrett’s confirmation specifically stands out. She was confirmed 8 days before Election Day.

According to CNN, “Barrett, who is 48 years old, is likely to serve on the court for decades and will give conservatives a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court, a shift in its makeup that could have dramatic implications for a range of issues that could come before it, including the future of the Affordable Care Act and any potential disputes regarding the 2020 election.”

The Supreme Court doesn’t have any terms, which means that Barrett will be a Supreme Court Justice until she retires or dies. Her becoming a Supreme Court Justice could significantly impact the lives of many people. When confirmed by the Senate, “the vote was 52 to 48, with all but one Republican, Susan Collins of Maine, who is battling for re-election, supporting her.” (New York Times). The Democratic senators unanimously voted against the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. The Republican senators, except for Susan Collins, all voted in favor of Judge Barrett joining the Supreme Court. Amy Coney Barrett is very likely to become a very influential person in the coming years. According to Harvard Business Review, “ The average tenure of justices is likely to increase to 35 years on the bench over the next century, compared with 17 years over the previous 100 years…”