AFSCME opposes Coney Barrett nomination to U.S. Supreme Court

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement opposing Judge Amy Coney Barrett for a seat on the United States Supreme Court:

“In nominating Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, 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 pre-existing conditions.

“Judge Barrett’s record is one of clear hostility to our union’s core values. She has attacked the 2012 Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, an issue that will be revisited by the Court in November. Barrett has also 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 she has made it harder for gig workers to sue their employer for overtime pay.

“The Barrett nomination is an insult to the legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a trailblazing warrior for justice. 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. The only sensible course is to let the winner of that election fill this vacancy.”