Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge, became the 115th Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. Barrett was nominated by President Donald Trump on Sept, 29 and confirmed on Oct 26 by a winning vote of 52-48.

Replacing the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon, the Supreme Court is now 6-3 conservative to liberal. This unequal balance of political side raises concern as hard fought for rights such as abortion rights, health care, LGBTQ+ rights, religious liberty, and environmental concerns could change.

The Supreme Court is now the most conservative it has ever been in the past 70 years. Barrett’s nomination drew enthusiasm from Republicans, who have made the courts their priority in the Senate, and anger from Democrats, who warned them not to fill a vacancy in an election year. People do not know how the conservative vote will affect their personal rights and human dignity, but it could potentially alter the lives of the American people. Barrett’s most vocal proponents are in the anti-abortion movement, while Ginsburg believed abortion was the woman’s choice, not the government’s.