AFSCME opposes President Donald Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, a choice that is “an insult to the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” as President Lee Saunders put it in a press statement.
“President Trump has shown once again that he puts the rights of corporations ahead of working people and will stop at nothing to rip health care coverage away from millions, including those with preexisting conditions,” Saunders said. “Judge Barrett’s record is one of clear hostility to our union’s core values.”
Among other things, Barrett has attacked the 2012 Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act and has defied the intent of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by rubberstamping a corporate racial segregation scheme. She has sought to undermine protections for older workers and has made it harder for gig workers to sue their employer for overtime pay.
As Senate leaders prepare to push through a vote to confirm the nominee, it’s clear that Americans would rather leave the choice to the winner of the 2020 election.
As recent polls have shown, more people say they want a voice in the matter. According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll, to take but one example, only 38% of Americans say the next Supreme Court justice should be nominated by Trump and confirmed by the current Senate, whereas 57% say the choice should be left to the winner of the election and confirmed through a Senate vote next year.
“With basic constitutional freedoms at stake, Americans deserve a justice who represents and affirms their views – views that they are expressing in a presidential election that is already underway,” Saunders said. “The only sensible course is to let the winner of that election fill this vacancy.”