Cindy Carr, cindy.carr@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Donald Trump announced he is nominating Amy Coney Barrett to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court. Barrett has previously affirmed that judges do not have to adhere to judicial precedents, which represent decades of hard-fought advocacy to protect civil rights, human rights, healthcare, and the environment.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has announced that he plans to proceed with the confirmation process, despite the fact he set the precedent for delaying a vote on a Supreme Court confirmation vote in an election year when he blocked President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland, for more than 11 months.
Senate Republicans have prioritized confirming Trump’s extremist judicial nominees over guarding the health and safety of Americans from COVID-19 - failing to pass a coronavirus relief bill for more than four months as the United States surpassed 200,000 known deaths and millions more struggle to pay their bills.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune released the following statement:
"In following the same precedent that Senate Republicans set during Merrick Garland’s nomination, under no circumstances should the Senate consider a Supreme Court nominee until after the inauguration. While millions of us are losing our lives and our livelihoods, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have been taking vacations and refusing to pass a coronavirus relief bill that will keep our communities safe. Now, instead of focusing on helping us regain a sense of normalcy, Mitch McConnell is trying to recklessly rush a vote on an extreme Supreme Court nominee who will seek to cement Donald Trump’s dangerous and deadly legacy.
“The American people must have a say in who fills Justice Ginsburg’s seat, and we demand the Senate follows its own protocols and confirms a new Justice after a new President is installed.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.