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JUDY WOODRUFF: Day one of 
the confirmation hearings for 
Judge Amy Coney Barrett is in

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the books, and the battle 
for this U.S. Supreme 
Court seat has been joined.

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President Trump and 
Republicans are pushing 
to put a conservative 
stamp on the High Court

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for years to come. Democrats are 
warning of what that could mean.

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John Yang begins our coverage.

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SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): The 
hearing to confirm Judge Amy 
Barrett to the Supreme Court

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will now begin.

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JOHN YANG: In an appropriately 
distanced Senate hearing room, 
Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney

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Barrett appeared before a 
divided Senate Judiciary 
Committee and a divided nation.

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Wearing a mask, Barrett was 
backed by her husband and six 
of their seven children. In

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her first public remarks since 
being nominated, she told 
senators her judicial philosophy

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was inspired by her mentor, the 
late Justice Antonin Scalia, 
for whom she was a clerk.

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AMY CONEY BARRETT, Supreme 
Court Justice Nominee: 
It was the content of 
Justice Scalia's reasoning

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that shaped me. His judicial 
philosophy was straightforward: 
A judge must apply the law

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as it is written, not 
as she wishes it were.

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JOHN YANG: She said 
making policy belongs to 
lawmakers, not judges.

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AMY CONEY BARRETT: Courts are 
not designed to solve every 
problem or right every wrong

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in our public life. The policy 
decisions and value judgments 
of government must be made

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by the political branches, 
elected by and accountable to 
the people. The public should

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not expect courts to do so, 
and courts should not try.

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JOHN YANG: But policy was 
what Democrats focused on.

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They said her confirmation was 
being fast-tracked this election 
year so she would be on the

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bench for oral arguments 
November 10 in a case that 20 
Republican-led states brought

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against the Affordable 
Care Act, or ACA.

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SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE 
(D-RI): The big, secretive 
influences behind this 
unseemly rush see this

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nominee as a judicial torpedo 
they are firing at the ACA.

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JOHN YANG: Democrats spoke 
of constituents who they said 
would lose health insurance

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if the ACA was struck down.

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Senator Mazie Hirono of Hawaii:

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SEN. MAZIE HIRONO (D-HI): 
The consequences of Judge 
Barrett's confirmation 
would be devastating

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for millions of Americans 
who would lose their health 
care during this pandemic.

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JOHN YANG: Some of Barrett's 
Republican defenders 
said her potential vote 
on the ACA case should

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not be prejudged.

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Senator John Cornyn of Texas:

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SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): You 
stand accused of intending to 
violate your oath before you

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even take it. Further, 
our Democratic colleagues 
want you to guarantee 
a result in a case as

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a quid pro quo for your 
confirmation. It's outrageous.

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JOHN YANG: Democrats renewed 
their objections to filling the 
vacancy so close to Election

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Day.

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Senator Chris Coons of Delaware:

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SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): There 
is no precedent in our nation's 
history for confirming a Supreme

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Court nominee by the Senate 
this close to a presidential 
election, in which a majority

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of states are already voting.

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JOHN YANG: Speaking from her 
office, committee member and 
vice presidential nominee Kamala

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Harris said lawmakers 
should instead be aiding 
financially strapped Americans.

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SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), 
Vice Presidential Candidate: 
Senate Republicans have made it

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crystal clear that rushing a 
Supreme Court nomination is 
more important than helping

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and supporting the 
American people who are 
suffering from a deadly 
pandemic and a devastating

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economic crisis.

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JOHN YANG: Republicans said 
they were simply fulfilling 
their constitutional duty.

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SEN. MIKE CRAPO (R-ID): 
The Senate is today 
exercising its duty to move 
forward with processing

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this nomination, just like the 
vast majority of Senates in 
the past have done every time

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this has happened.

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JOHN YANG: Barrett describes 
herself as a faithful Catholic, 
and in her 2017 confirmation

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for the appeals court, some 
Democrats raised her faith in 
the context of abortion rights.

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Today, it was only 
Republicans who brought it up.

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SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): When 
you tell somebody that they're 
too Catholic to be on the bench,

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when you tell somebody they're 
going to be a Catholic judge, 
not an American judge, that's

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bigotry. The pattern and 
practice of bigotry from members 
of this committee must stop.

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SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): It's 
really quite simple what your 
opponents are doing. They

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are attacking you, as a 
mom and a woman of faith, 
because they cannot attack 
your qualifications.

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JOHN YANG: Today's first of a 
scheduled four days of hearings 
lacked the usual charged

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atmosphere of a high-stakes 
Supreme Court nomination.

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Because of COVID-19, the only 
spectators allowed were a small 
number of journalists and Senate

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staff. Some senators appeared 
remotely. But outside the Hart 
Senate Office Building, Barrett

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supporters gathered 
on sidewalks.

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WOMAN: And, as far as I'm 
concerned, the man is president.

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JOHN YANG: While a block away, 
on the steps of the Supreme 
Court building, supporters

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and opponents faced off.

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Committee Chair Lindsey Graham 
predicted that, when all was 
said and done, the outcome would

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not be surprising.

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SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM: This is 
probably not about persuading 
each other. Unless something

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really dramatic happens, all 
Republicans will vote yes and 
all Democrats will vote no.

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JOHN YANG: Tomorrow, Barrett 
is to begin two days of 
scheduled questioning.

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For the "PBS NewsHour," 
I'm John Yang.