Seasoned appellate Judge Brett Kavanaugh and recent circuit court appointee Judge Amy Coney Barrett are leading candidates in President Donald Trump’s search for a Supreme Court nominee, according to a Thursday Los Angeles Times report.
They both reportedly come from a list curated by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation. The motto of the list is “no more Souters,” a reference to a George W. H. Bush appointee believed to be conservative who turned out to have a moderate-liberal bent while on the court, voting to uphold Roe v. Wade.
Both Kavanaugh and Barrett are far right enough to leave no doubt about their rulings, per the Los Angeles Times.
Kavanaugh is 53 and has a long record of conservative opinions on everything from guns to immigrants’ right to have an abortion. He was a top deputy to Kenneth Starr during Bill Clinton’s impeachment proceedings and was a member of the legal team representing George W. Bush in the recount battle after the 2000 election.
Barrett, 46, has a less extensive record but clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia and was narrowly confirmed to the 7th circuit court in Chicago in November. She, unlike Kavanaugh, has written directly on Roe v. Wade, calling it “an erroneous decision.”
