Feinstein told Barrett that "when you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you. And that's of concern." The senator accused Barrett of having "a long history of believing that your religious beliefs should prevail" over the law.
Some Democratic senators have continued to warn that Barrett's Catholic beliefs in issues such as abortion and assisted reproductive technology could influence her decision-making on the bench.
"Her faith is irrelevant," Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said of Barrett at a Sept. 30 press conference. "What the real issue her is whether her closely-held views can be separated from her ability to make objective, fair decisions with a lifetime appointment."
"I fear that, if confirmed to the nation's highest court, Judge Barrett would be unable to resist the temptation of overturning decades of judicial precedent in an effort to force every American family to adhere to her individual moral code," Sen. Tammy Duckworth said in an Oct. 2 "dear colleague" letter.
Duckworth noted that Barrett signed on to a 2006 letter by St. Joseph County Right to Life that supported the right to life "from fertilization." The group, Duckworth said, opposes in vitro fertilization (IVF), the same treatment Duckworth used to have her children.
"I fear that if a case involving ART [Assisted Reproductive Technology] were to be brought before the bench, families like mine would not be able to trust that her [Barrett's] opinions would be based on facts, laws and the Constitution rather than swayed by her personal beliefs," Duckworth said.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that "It is the definition of discrimination to assert that Justice Barrett's particular faith makes her uniquely unqualified for this promotion,"
McConnell condemned the suggestions "that Judge Barrett is too Christian, or the wrong kind of Christian, to be a good judge."
"Every Supreme Court Justice in history has possessed personal views," he said.
Matt Hadro was the political editor at Catholic News Agency through October 2021. He previously worked as CNA senior D.C. correspondent and as a press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.