“President Trump’s nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court is truly alarming – an affront to all who care about women’s health and rights and about stopping discrimination.

At this pivotal moment, the country needs a Supreme Court justice with a deep commitment to equal justice for all, privacy and fairness for women, people of color, workers, religious and ethnic minorities, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, seniors and every person who may face discrimination.

Judge Gorsuch is not that nominee. His record indicates that he is far outside the mainstream of legal thinking in this country. In two separate cases, he supported restricting women’s coverage for birth control. He would have allowed Planned Parenthood to be defunded, and he has ruled repeatedly against employees who alleged discrimination or unfair treatment – deciding in favor of big business and against workers.

In the months and years ahead, the Supreme Court will issue rulings that shape our laws and our lives with regard to our right to choose abortion, our right to privacy, women’s rights, workers’ rights, civil rights, immigrants’ rights, voting rights and other essential laws. The next justice will be positioned to either protect or undermine the rights and liberties our country holds dear – and we may never have needed a Supreme Court that respects the separation of powers more than we do today.

The Senate has an obligation to assess this nominee based on much more than legal credentials; every senator must carefully consider Judge Gorsuch’s record, and when they do, they must reject him because it is clear he cannot be relied upon to safeguard our civil rights and liberties and continue the progress toward equality for all.

The Senate must reject President Trump’s nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch, for a lifetime appointment on our highest court.”