Merkley vows to fight Trump's nominee to fill 'stolen' Supreme Court
Source: The Hill
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) vowed to block President Trumps Supreme Court nominee in a scathing statement Tuesday evening.
This is a stolen seat being filled by an illegitimate and extreme nominee, and I will do everything in my power to stand up against this assault on the Court, Merkley said in a statement.
(snip)
This strategy of packing the court, if successful, could threaten fundamental rights in America, including workers right to organize, womens reproductive rights, and the rights of ordinary citizens to have their voices heard in elections rather than being drowned out by the corrupting influence of dark money from the richest Americans, Merkley said.
(snip)
Merkley has said he will filibuster any Trump Supreme Court pick that is not Garland.
If President Trump were serious about healing the divisions in America and undoing the damage wrought by Senate Republicans last year, he could have named Merrick Garland to fill this seat, Merkley wrote. Garland is a centrist jurist who is respected on both sides of the aisle. Instead, he doubled down on division by picking an ideological and extreme nominee to satisfy the far right.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/317260-merkley-i-will-do-everything-in-my-power-to-block-trumps
Merkley is asking for people to sign his petition to the senate here:
http://www.jeffmerkley.com/petition/oppose-trump-scotus-nominee/e/
Tell the Senate: Oppose Trump's Supreme Court Nominee
Our democracy and our values are threatened by a Constitution-shredding gambit to steal a Supreme Court seat.
For nearly a year, Senate Republicans refused to even hold a hearing on President Obama's nominee, Judge Merrick Garland.
Now they want to install a right-wing justice who will imperil legal abortion, marriage equality, voting rights, our "We the People" government, and so much more.
Donald Trump failed to re-nominate Judge Garland, choosing the far-right Judge Neil Gorsuch instead.
That's unacceptable, and the Senate should reject this nominee.
Lifelong Protester
(8,421 posts)rockfordfile
(8,704 posts)elmac
(4,642 posts)just say no!
Pachamama
(16,887 posts)Amaryllis
(9,525 posts)Pachamama
(16,887 posts)bhikkhu
(10,724 posts)If Bannon wants to destroy the establishment and tear down the state, I'd say we go along for the time being - no new justices until we have a valid government.
blue neen
(12,328 posts)Good for him.
That's my man....
Amaryllis
(9,525 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)...."what would Harry do?"
athena
(4,187 posts)Anyone else is a subversion of the intent of the Constitution. We must demand that all Democratic Senators get behind Merkley.
The Constitution says the President nominates a Justice, which the Senate then confirms. It does not say that the President must nominate someone "in the mould of" the retiring or deceased justice. The Supreme Court was designed to evolve with the will of the people. The will of the people in 2008 and 2012 was Barack Obama, who chose Merrick Garland. Any Senator with an honest bone in their body who respects the Constitution must demand that Merrick Garland be nominated.
Idoru
(167 posts)Godspeed Senator Merkley!
iluvtennis
(19,871 posts)Bayard
(22,149 posts)Will anyone pay attention? Call me paranoid, but starting to wonder, in this fascist state, if the names on all these petitions are people who will be rounded up for the camps or disposal at some point.
townie
(38 posts)All democrats must stand and fight
kentuck
(111,110 posts)A good time to separate the wheat from the chaff.
stuffmatters
(2,574 posts)To me the most accurate public "framing" of Trump and Gorsuch's collusion in this theft.