Groups To Democratic Senators Regarding Gorsuch: “We Need You To Do Better”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2017

Today, eleven progressive advocacy organizations led by NARAL Pro-Choice America, sent a letter to all Democratic Senators urging them to take bolder action to defeat Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court.

In the letter, the groups state, “Democrats have failed to demonstrate a strong, unified resistance to this nominee [Gorsuch] despite the fact that he is an ultra-conservative jurist who will undermine our basic freedoms and threaten the independence of the federal judiciary.” And then states, “We need you to do better.”

Groups signing the letter, organized by NARAL Pro-Choice America, include NARAL Pro-Choice America, CREDO Action, SEIU, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, MoveOn.org, Domestic Workers Legacy Fund (formerly the National Domestic Workers Alliance), Working Families Party, 350 Action, Demos Action, Communications Workers of America and Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

The letter closes by calling for, “Democratic senators to immediately make clear your opposition to this nominee and insist that Gorsuch’s nomination, like previous nominees to the Supreme Court, will require 60 votes.”

You can see the full letter below:

U.S. Capitol Building

Washington, DC 20515

Re: Nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court

 

Dear Democratic Senators,

It has been just over one month since President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court. During this time, Democrats have failed to demonstrate a strong, unified resistance to this nominee despite the fact that he is an ultra-conservative jurist who will undermine our basic freedoms and threaten the independence of the federal judiciary.  We need you to do better.

Judge Gorsuch is not a mainstream nominee.  He is more conservative than Justice Scalia, has an extreme ideological agenda supported by some of the most dangerous ultra-conservative and white nationalist

groups, and has failed to protect everyday Americans’ constitutional rights in favor of propping up corporations and special interests.  As a judge, Gorsuch opposed reproductive freedom and women’s rights; LGBTQ rights; civil rights; workers’ rights; immigrants’ rights; disability rights; environmental protections; and sought to increase the influence of corporate money in our elections.  Imagine how much damage he could do with a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court.

Democratic senators must get out in front of this nomination process and refuse to be bullied by President Trump as he stampedes on the rights of Americans.  Our constitutional system of checks and balances requires three equal branches of government. This includes an independent judiciary and a legislative branch willing to stand up to an out-of-control president. There is zero evidence that Judge Gorsuch will be an independent check on this runaway and dangerous administration. The president’s chief of staff admitted as much two weeks ago when he said Gorsuch, “represents the type of judge that has the vision of Donald Trump.”

Because of this, we call on Democratic senators to immediately make clear your opposition to this nominee and insist that Gorsuch’s nomination, like previous nominees to the Supreme Court, will require 60 votes.

Judge Gorsuch’s record is clear – so clear, in fact, that we already know he is an unacceptable nominee for the Supreme Court. President Trump is using Gorsuch to elevate his extreme agenda with a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court. As senators, we need you to stand up to this reckless agenda.

Americans are marching in the streets, demanding that our government stands up for our democratic ideals. We need you to stand with us and fight to preserve the American Dream.

Sincerely,

NARAL Pro-Choice America

350 Action

Asian Pacific Environmental Network

Communications Workers of America

CREDO Action

Demos Action

Domestic Worker Legacy Fund

MoveOn.org

SEIU

National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund

Working Families Party

 

NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates are dedicated to protecting and expanding reproductive freedom for all Americans. NARAL works to guarantee that every woman has the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including preventing unintended pregnancy, bearing healthy children, and choosing legal abortion. In recognition of its work defending our constitutional right to choose, Fortune Magazine described NARAL as “one of the top 10 advocacy groups in America.”

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