October 26, 2020

Wyden Votes 'No' on Amy Coney Barrett

“Senate Republicans have broken rules, violated their word and gamed the system in bad faith to pack the courts with far-right ideologues who will do their dirty work for them”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voted ‘no’ on the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court today. Wyden released the following statement:

“The Republican agenda – throwing millions of Americans off their healthcare, overturning Roe and their myriad other priorities that threaten fundamental freedoms – is too unpopular to enact through legislation, so Republicans are working to enact it through the Courts. That’s really what the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett is all about.

“This rush job to fill the Ginsburg seat has been illegitimate from the beginning, and it was proven to be a sham when Judge Barrett turned out to be the Babe Ruth of ducking and dodging simple questions during her nomination hearing. Justice Ginsburg was not just an iconic fighter for the rights of the powerless and vulnerable. She always said what she meant, and meant what she said. We did not get that from Judge Barrett.

“Senate Republicans have broken rules, violated their word and gamed the system in bad faith to pack the courts with far-right ideologues who will do their dirty work for them. They have done severe damage to the legitimacy and the independence of the judiciary in this country. We need to give serious consideration to any solution that can undo this damage and ensure that all Americans are guaranteed equal protection under the law. “

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