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Daines Votes Yes, Tester No To Confirm Justice Barrett

Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump's nominee for the Supreme Court.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett

Montana’s two U.S. Senators split their votes along party lines on Oct. 26 as the U.S. Senate voted 52 to 48 to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett as the newest member of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Republican Steve Daines voted to confirm Judge Barrett.

Daines had met with Barrett and said her qualifications and character are indisputable. He said she would not misuse her power as a justice to impose her policy preferences and would uphold the Second Amendment.

Daines is in a close re election race with challenger Montana Governor Steve Bullock.

Democrat Jon Tester voted no on Barrett, saying it was irresponsible of the Republican majority in the Senate to ram through a partisan nomination while Montanans and many other Americans are already voting in the election. Tester said the White House never made Barrett available to Montana’s senior senator either by phone or in person, despite Tester’s repeated request.

Judge Barrett is expected to be sworn in to the Supreme Court during a ceremony on Oct. 26 at the White House. She will fill the seat on the bench left open by the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in mid September.

Kay Erickson has been working in broadcasting in Billings for more than 20 years. She spent well over a decade as news assignment editor at KTVQ-TV before joining the staff at YPR. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, with a degree in broadcast journalism. Shortly after graduation she worked in Great Falls where she was one of the first female sports anchor and reporter in Montana.