'Hell, no!' says Sen. Mazie Hirono as partisan Senate vote Amy Coney Barrett onto the U.S. Supreme Court

SCREEN CAPTURE

Sen. Mazie Hirono gives a thumbs down on Amy Coney Barrett's nomination for SCOTUS.

Amy Coney Barrett is the newest Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. She was confirmed to the Supreme Court on Monday night by a narrow party-line vote in the Senate; Democrats against, Republicans for. Only one Republican, Maine's Susan Collins, crossed the aisle to vote against Barrett.

All three Asian American senators voted against Barrett and Hawaii's Sen. Mazie Hirono did it in dramatic fashion, walking up to the front desk with an emphatic "Hell no!" and to make sure there was no doubt, a dramatic thumbs down.

'LGBTQ rights. Voting rights. Women’s equality. Health Care. These rights didn’t materialize out of thin air – they came after hard-fought battles.

'Judge Barrett’s radical views and her disregard for real-world impacts show #WhatsAtStake if she is confirmed to the Supreme Court,' Hirono tweeted earlier.  

Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, said, “The American people see this confirmation for what it is: an illegitimate move that will set our country back for generations. Access to health care is now in jeopardy. Our voting rights are now in jeopardy. Workers’ rights are now in jeopardy. LGBTQ equality is now in jeopardy. The right to a safe and legal abortion is now in jeopardy. The ability to address a changing climate is now in jeopardy. And so much more.

“I share the American people’s outrage at this rushed process to confirm a nominee who has the potential to do great harm.”

Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth called the entire questionable process of selecting Coney Barrett, “Infuriating, awful and illegitimate.”

Since Barrett was announced as Trump’s pick for the Supreme Court, Duckworth has been vocal about her opposition to this appointment. When Barrett was first nominated, the Duckworth responded: “instead of addressing the many life-and-death issues facing working families during COVID-19, Trump and the Senate Republicans are focused on jamming through this nomination in a transparent grab for power so they can achieve their long-sought goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act and ripping away healthcare from millions – including every COVID-19 survivor who now has a pre-existing condition.”

“Judge Barrett was not fit to be a Circuit Judge in 2017 and she is the wrong choice for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court today.”

After the Senate vote, Coney Barrett was sworn in twice. The first ceremony Justice Clarence Thomas did the first swearing in without any of the other justices present. Later Monday, she was sworn in again in a more traditional ceremony with Chief Justice Roberts and the other justices (with the exception of Justice Breyer) in attendance.

Coney Barrett, 48, will give the High Court a solid 6-3 conservative majority and will shape the law and the country for generations. In her first term, she is expected to take part in decisions affecting a woman's right to choose, the Affordable Care Act, same-sex marriage and most immediately, possibly the legitimacy of the Nov. 3 presidential election.

EDITOR'S NOTE: A word of caution, this is news sprinkled with opinion. Readers are encouraged to seek multiple news sources to formulate their own positions.