WASHINGTON – This evening, following President Trump’s announcement of his nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat, principals of four major civil and legal rights advocacy organizations held a press call outlining the significance of his pick, what’s at stake with the nomination, and the importance of opposing any nominee who will gut and overturn Roe. v. Wade and undermine the Affordable Care Act amidst a worldwide pandemic.
Participating organizations were People For the American Way, Alliance for Justice, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the National Women’s Law Center.
You can watch video of the Zoom press call here: ">
“Justice Ginsberg was a jurist who delivered equal justice for all but Trump has once again shown us that he’s incapable of picking judges who will safeguard our rights. Instead, he has selected someone who will limit access to health care, gut Roe v. Wade, erode our democracy, and put corporations ahead of people,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. “With a global pandemic claiming the lives of more than 200,000 people in American and calls to end systematic racism intensifying, it is shameful that Senator McConnell and his caucuses are making this nomination a priority right now. The Senate must not consider Justice Ginsburg’s replacement before the inauguration.”
“This is political posturing for a flailing president, pure and simple. We know that anyone this president nominates and these Senators confirm would roll back all the rights we hold dear. It is abhorrent that, amidst a worldwide pandemic with 200,000 Americans dead and millions more with lifelong health conditions, all the president and Senate Republicans can get done is ramming through an anti-healthcare judge on the nation’s highest court,” said Nan Aron, president, Alliance for Justice.
“We’ve known who President Trump was going to nominate – regardless of their name. He has already called for judges who would ‘automatically’ overturn Roe v. Wade, and has made clear his desire to inform the results of the election by filling this seat,” said Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center. Looking at Trump’s shortlist is a crystal ball view of a future that decimates the right to bodily autonomy, rescinds health care for those who need it most, turns back protections for survivors of sexual harassment, and undoes decades of progress for LGBTQ+ communities and people of color. While bleak, it’s unclouded. We know what’s coming, we know what’s on the line, and we are ready to fight.”
“Justice Ginsburg was a fierce protector of healthcare, civil rights and a woman’s right to choose, and the person Trump has chosen is the exact opposite as a successor,” said Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way. “This Supreme Court fight is about protecting – and expanding – Americans’ access to health care. Our values say that healthcare is a right, not a privilege, not a political game. Although judges are supposed to be the protectors of what is fair and just, the person Trump nominated will be aided by Republican senators who believe confirming an anti-healthcare justice, and putting special interests above their own constituents, is more important than passing the COVID-19 relief our nation needs. There is nothing fair and just about stripping healthcare from Americans, especially during a pandemic, which is what this nominee will do.”
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About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org/.
About Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 120 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. Since 1979, AFJ has been the leader in advocating for a fair and independent justice system, preserving access to the courts, and empowering others to stand up and fight for their causes. Learn more at https://www.afj.org/
About The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit https://civilrights.org/.
About the Women's National Law Center
The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families. For more than 45 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women.