Saunders: ‘The people should decide’ the next Supreme Court justice

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement about the vacancy on the Supreme Court left by the death on Friday of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

“No Supreme Court justice should be nominated or confirmed until January 2021. To fill this seat now – just weeks before Election Day, with millions of people having already voted or requested a ballot – would be a corrupt, norm-breaking power grab without precedent in American history. The February 2016 rationale for refusing to consider Merrick Garland’s nomination should apply in September 2020 – to suggest otherwise is rank, shameful hypocrisy.

“All of our most cherished rights are at stake – workers’ rights, women’s rights, civil rights, voting rights and more. Another right-wing justice could radically alter American law and society for generations, wreaking havoc on the lives of people who depend on the Court to safeguard their constitutional freedoms. Millions, including those with pre-existing conditions, could have their health care coverage ripped away. It will mean unchecked corporate power and widening inequality, with renewed threats to the ability of working people to come together in a strong union. The cause of racial justice will come under ruthless attack, with people of color marginalized and immigrant communities dehumanized. Filling Justice Ginsburg’s seat with someone dedicated to rolling back so many hard-earned rights and freedoms would be an insult to her proud, principled legacy.

“Respect for democracy demands that we let the outcome of this presidential election determine the next Supreme Court justice. The people’s rights are at stake, so the people should decide.”