Senate Republicans Rob the American People of Their Supreme Court Seat 

This week, the Senate — led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Lindsey Graham — concluded an unprecedented and illegitimate confirmation process, replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the United States Supreme Court with Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

The Judiciary Committee broke its own rule to rush this confirmation before Election Day. After the confirmation vote, the Senate went into a two-week recess — leaving the American people facing a sixth month of waiting for the Senate to act on pandemic relief.

The rush to fill this seat underscores a complete disregard for the global health crisis that has infected more than 8.7 million people in the U.S., taken the lives of more than 225,000 people, and left 7.9% of the American workforce unemployed. This partisan process also ignored the fact that the election has been long underway:More than 80 million people have already voted, and 62% of Americans surveyed believe this Supreme Court seat should have been filled by the winner of this election.

Before the vote, Senate Democrats took to the floor and spoke through the night, exhausting 30 hours of debate time. In their speeches, senator after senator focused on the illegitimacy of this process — spotlighting what’s at stake for health care, reproductive rights, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, and more.

Justice Barrett’s record suggests that she poses a direct threat to abortion access, birth control, the Affordable Care Act, and so much more. 

But know this: we’ll never stop fighting to protect your rights and your health care.

Senate Republicans were able to put Justice Barrett on the Supreme Court because they hold a majority in the Senate, and they are willing to defy democratic norms and the wishes of their constituents. Now we’re sending a loud and clear message to them: We won’t back down.