Divided Senate confirms Trump's top court pick

WASHINGTON－Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the US Supreme Court on Monday by a deeply divided Senate, with Republicans overpowering Democrats to install President Donald Trump's nominee days before the election and secure a likely conservative court majority for years to come.

Trump's choice to fill the vacancy left by the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election. Democrats were unable to stop the outcome, Trump's third justice on the court, as Republicans race to reshape the judiciary.

Barrett, 48, was expected to start work on Tuesday. Her lifetime appointment as the 115th justice solidifies the court's conservative, rightward tilt.

"This is a momentous day for America," Trump said at a prime time swearing-in event on the South Lawn at the White House. Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional Oath to Barrett before a crowd of about 200 people.

Monday's vote was the closest high court confirmation ever to a presidential election, and the first in modern times with no support from the minority party.

The escalating COVID-19 crisis has hung over the proceedings.

US Vice-President Mike Pence declined to preside at the Senate unless his tie-breaking vote was needed after Democrats asked him to stay away when his aides tested positive for COVID-19. The vote was 52-48, and Pence's vote was not necessary.

"Voting to confirm this nominee should make every single senator proud," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, fending off "outlandish" criticism in a lengthy speech.

Rare session

During a rare weekend session, he declared that Barrett's opponents "won't be able to do much about this for a long time to come".

Barrett, a federal appeals court judge from Indiana, was expected to take the judicial oath administered by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in a private ceremony on Tuesday at the court to begin participating in proceedings.

Underscoring the political divide during the pandemic, the Republican senators, most wearing masks, sat in their seats as is tradition for landmark votes, and applauded the outcome, with fist-bumps. Democratic senators emptied their side, heeding party leadership's advice to not linger in the chamber.

A White House Rose Garden event with Trump to announce Barrett's nomination last month ended up spreading the virus to Trump, first lady Melania Trump and some GOP senators who have since returned from quarantine.

Pence's presence would have been expected for a high-profile moment. But Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said it would not only violate virus guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "it would also be a violation of common decency and courtesy."

Democrats argued for weeks that the vote was being improperly rushed and insisted during an all-night Sunday session it should be up to the winner of the Nov 3 election to name the nominee.

Agencies - Xinhua