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Thursday, September 6th, 2018
Pacific Northwest’s Democratic Senators speak out against Kavanaugh nomination
Although no Democratic Senator from the Pacific Northwest has had the opportunity to question Judge Kavanaugh or air their grievances regarding his nomination, they haven’t held back their criticism of the pick.
As the hearings go on, Senators Murray, Wyden, and Merkley have been active on Twitter criticizing Judge Kavanaugh as travesties continue to develop. Particularly with Senator Booker’s stand, Senator Merkley tweeted his support, saying:
“Thank you, Cory Booker, for taking a risk to show America where
Kavanaugh stands on issues. Stand up. Speak up.”
Senator Murray took this a step further as of recently, holding a press conference with women behind a banner reading “Stop Kavanaugh”.
She did not mince words.
SENATOR PATTY MURRAY: So we Democrats are going to keep standing up for patients with pre-existing conditions. We are going to keep fighting against Judge Kavanaugh and this sham process Republicans are using to hide the facts and try to jam him through. And I am confident that families across the country are going to be listening to what all of us say — and even more importantly, they are going to be watching what all of us do.
Senator Maria Cantwell hasn’t been as vocal in her opposition towards Kavanaugh’s nomination, but that changed today when she issued a statement saying she would oppose the nomination. (Cantwell previously said on Meet the Press saying that a vote for whoever Trump nominated could be a “career-ending” move.)
Said Senator Cantwell:
Cantwell, Wyden, Murray, and Merkley are all set to vote no on this nomination, but it’s important to encourage their fierce opposition to Kavanaugh by actively speaking out, especially with these new revelations coming by the minute.
Meanwhile, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski needs to be lobbied to vote no.
On some issues this nomination could affect — such as a woman’s fundamental right to make her own reproductive health decisions — our Senators have been vocal. However, other issues aren’t getting the same degree of attention.
As important as a women’s right to choose is, a Supreme Court with Kavanaugh on it could wipe away decades’ worth of important precedents, destroying or undermining hard won progress on additional fronts. Examples are LGBT rights, affirmative action/equity, and voting rights.
Washington and Oregon’s Senators have made their opposition to the Kavanaugh nomination clear. Their willingness to defend a woman’s right to make her own reproductive health decisions is commendable. However, this shouldn’t prevent them from being more vocal and intersectional in their advocacy.
# Written by Vaibhav Vijay :: 8:30 PM
Categories: Legislative Advocacy
Tags: Supreme Court Nominations
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