The stakes are high for both sides during Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation hearings this week.

Barrett's confirmation would cement conservative control of the nation's highest court, giving them a 6-3 advantage. At 48-years-old, Barrett would become the youngest member of the court and would potentially be able to serve for decades.

A devout Catholic, Barrett has the backing of evangelicals who consider her a likely vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade abortion decision. Democrats have said she's also likely to side against the Affordable Care Act. The high court is scheduled to hear that case on Nov. 10th.

Republicans don't have much margin for error. Two Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have said they wouldn't vote for any nominee given the proximity to the presidential election.

That leaves Republicans with 51 votes — just enough to confirm Barrett, barring defections or illness. If there's a 50-50 tie, Vice President Mike Pence could break it.

Read more on what to expect from this week's hearings.

Barrett's seven children, who range in age from 9 to 19, have sat quietly behind their mom through the hearing, occasionally drawing compliments from senators about their willingness to sit quietly. 

Hours until the second day of testimony, Sen. Kennedy tried to send them a lifeline, distributing notepads and pencils for them to utilize, presumably a reprieve from listening to the senators' speeches. 

The seven children are seated behind Barrett and next to their father, Jesse. 

Barrett in her opening statement paid tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whom Trump's nominee would replace if confirmed.

"When I was 21 years old, and just beginning my career, Ruth Bader Ginsburg sat in this seat. She told the committee what has become of me could only happen in America,” Barrett said. "I have been nominated to fill justice Ginsburg's seat, but no one will ever take her place. I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led."

Prior to Barrett's remarks, several of the 22 senators on the committee addressed Ginsburg's historic tenure as well as her judicial legacy.

Graham, opening the hearing, called Ginsburg an "active litigator, pushing for more equal justice and better rights for women throughout the country," celebrating the friendship the late justice shared with Scalia. 

Feinstein recalled Ginsburg's confirmation hearing, the first she experienced as a U.S. senator. Feinstein referred to the hearing as a "real thrill" for someone who broke barriers and "staunchly believed in a woman's right to full equality and autonomy."  

Klobuchar said that Ginsburg's legacy could not be erased: "To the women of America, we have come so far, and in the name of RBG, we should not go backwards."

Senate Democrats came to the first day of the Supreme Court hearings Monday with a singular message: Health care coverage and protections for millions of Americans are at risk if Barrett is confirmed.

Like a choir singing in unison, Democrats carried the same tune, in different vocal ranges. Each showed photos of constituents who have battled illness and stood to lose potential life-or-death treatment if the Affordable Care Act were axed, demonstrating an unusual level of harmony for a party not known for message discipline.

The relentless attacks were aimed at exploiting the GOP's Achilles heel in the election — a pandemic-weary public that continues to cite health care as a top issue and trusts Democrats more on the topic. Without the votes to stop Republicans from confirming Barrett, 48, to a lifetime appointment on the court, Democrats are seeking to maximize their revenge at the ballot box.

Read more here.

Graham adjourned Monday's nomination hearing. Tuesday's hearing is set to begin at 9 a.m. ET. 

Tuesday's hearing will begin the lengthy question process, when Barrett will face public interrogation. 

Barrett said in her opening statement that a key framework of how she rules from the bench is how she would view a decision if one of her seven children was whom she was ruling against.

"When I write an opinion resolving a case, I read every word from the perspective of the losing party," she said. "I ask myself how would I view the decision if one of my children was the party I was ruling against: Even though I would not like the result, would I understand that the decision was fairly reasoned and grounded in the law? That is the standard I set for myself in every case, and it is the standard I will follow as long as I am a judge on any court."

Barrett also praised her mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, one of the court's most conservative members in his time and for whom Barrett clerked, and described how she viewed the role of the courts.

"Courts have a vital responsibility to enforce the rule of law, which is critical to a free society," Barrett said. "But courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the people. The public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try."