Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Hearing Concludes

WASHINGTON, DC — The fourth and final day of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett wrapped up Thursday afternoon. A vote on Barrett's nomination is not expected to come until Oct. 22, however.

A confirmation of Barrett, who was not present for Thursday's proceedings, would cement a 6-3 conservative majority on the nation's highest court. This is not expected to come until later in the month, however; rules allow for a delay of the final confirmation vote for another week, and approval by the full Senate could take another week.

Under that time frame, the judge's confirmation is likely to come less than a week before the Nov. 3 presidential election.

The committee heard both personal and emotional testimony from some of Barrett's former colleagues on Thursday, the USA Today reports. Barrett is likely to be confirmed by the committee by a 12-10 vote along party lines, with the full Senate also expected to approve the nomination a week later.

Monday's hearing was filled with opening statements, while Barrett fielded questions from Republican and Democratic senators on Tuesday and Wednesday.

<<< Recap Of Amy Coney Barrett Supreme Court Confirmation Hearing Day 3

Barrett is slated to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 last month after 27 years on the Supreme Court.

Barrett’s confirmation would bring the most pronounced ideological change on the court in 30 years, from the liberal icon Ginsberg to the conservative appeals court judge from Indiana. The shift is poised to launch a new era of court rulings on abortion, voting rights and other matters that are now open to new uncertainty.

The 48-year-old Barrett was careful during two days of public testimony not to tip her views on many issues, or take on the president who nominated her. Facing almost 20 hours of questions from senators, she declined to offer specifics beyond a vow to keep an open mind and take the cases as they come.

“It’s not the law of Amy,” the mother of seven told the senators at various times.

A former Notre Dame Law School professor, Barrett would be the only one of her Supreme Court colleagues not groomed in the Ivy League. She had little courtroom experience when the Senate confirmed her to the federal bench in 2017, but quickly became a rising conservative star.

At the high court, she may be quickly called on to consider the GOP-backed challenge to the Affordable Care Act in a case coming before the court Nov. 10, as well as any election-related challenges between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden in the heated presidential campaign.

“Amy’s doing a fantastic job,” Trump said at the White House before heading out to a Wednesday night campaign rally.

Trump has publicly stated he wants a justice swiftly seated for both situations. The president has said on Twitter he wants a justice who would rule differently than Chief Justice John Roberts, who helped preserve the law in previous cases. And he said he wants a justice in place for any disputes arising from the election, particularly concerning the surge of mail-in ballots expected during the pandemic.

Barrett frustrated senators during two days of public hearings by declining to disclose views on those matters, and many others, despite a collection of public statements and writings against abortion and the court’s decisions on the health care law.

She brushed past Democrats’ pressing questions about ensuring the date of next month’s election or preventing voter intimidation, both set in federal law, and the peaceful transfer of presidential power. She also refused to express her view on whether the president can pardon himself.

When it came to major issues that are likely to come before the court, including abortion and health care, Barrett repeatedly promised to keep an open mind and said neither Trump nor anyone else in the White House had tried to influence her views.

Watch a replay of Thursday's hearing in the video player above or on the PBS NewsHour YouTube channel.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.