“President Trump has long bragged that he would nominate only anti-choice justices to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. On this, he kept his word. It is very clear that the President’s nomination of Judge Kavanaugh to serve as a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court creates profound risk for the country and a moment of truth for the United States Senate.
Judge Kavanaugh is absolutely wrong for the Court. His record demonstrates clear hostility toward women’s right to access reproductive health care and employees’ right to work free from discrimination. He ruled in favor of allowing the government to continue blocking the abortion of a young immigrant woman; he favors allowing employers’ religious beliefs to override women’s right to birth control coverage; and he sided with those who discriminate against employees in several cases. His statements suggesting that the president is above the law are especially chilling.
All our rights are now on the line as we face the very real prospect of a U.S. Supreme Court that will take away the fundamental women’s rights, civil rights, LGBTQ and immigrants’ rights that we have long relied on the courts to protect. If Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, we could lose our right to privacy and abortion, to fair and equal treatment at school and work, and to live and love freely. We could lose the voting rights that are the foundation of our democracy. Kavanaugh would shift the balance on the Court and threaten our access to health care. He might well allow the Trump administration to undermine Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and make it impossible for people with pre-existing conditions to get affordable health insurance.
President Trump has no mandate to reshape our courts. The majority of voters opposed him in the presidential election and the majority of people oppose his sexist, racist, anti-immigrant, anti-worker agenda. We are absolutely determined to block Kavanaugh’s confirmation. We draw a line in the proverbial sand today. No Senator who votes to confirm Kavanaugh can ever again claim to care about women’s constitutional rights, women’s health, women’s dignity or women’s autonomy. No Senator who votes to confirm Kavanaugh can ever again claim to support our fundamental civil rights. A vote to confirm Kavanaugh is a vote for the wealthy and powerful and against all the rest of us.
The country needs a Supreme Court justice with a deep commitment to equal justice, privacy and fairness. Judge Kavanaugh is not that nominee. The Senate must reject him for a lifetime appointment on our highest court.”
