Stabenow, Schumer, Whitehouse Announce Next Phase of Captured Courts Effort Detailing What’s at Stake for the American People
Following New Vacancy on the Supreme Court, Next Series of Reports will Show Real-World Impact of Courts’ Decisions on Issues Ranging from Health Care to Climate and More.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) announced that they will be releasing new reports that highlight how the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal judiciary system affect every day life in the United States. Justice Ginsburg’s tragic passing and the new vacancy on the Supreme Court puts the Affordable Care Act, environmental protections, labor rights and more at risk.
Each report will describe the history of each issue in the courts, follow the dark money behind judicial decisions and show what it means for the future. This effort will begin with Senator Baldwin leading a report on health care and reproductive rights. For years, conservative Justices have been chipping away at both affordable health care and reproductive rights. Republicans have used the courts to achieve what they know they cannot in Congress.
“Our courts make decisions that directly impact our daily lives and our way of life as Americans. These reports shine a bright light on how Republicans and well-funded groups are using our judicial system to take health care away, gut protections for our environment, weaken voting rights, and more. Senate Democrats are leading the fight to have the Supreme Court and all courts work for Americans and bring justice for all,” said Senator Stabenow.
“The devastating passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her legacy has put a magnifying glass on the impact our judiciary system has on Americans’ fundamental rights,”said Senator Schumer. “For years, Republicans have worked hand-in-hand with right-wing groups to pack our courts with judges who represent big special interests rather than the interests of the American people. These radical, anti-health care, anti-choice judges will rollback progress and will undermine everything Justice Ginsburg fought for her entire career. Democrats are united in fighting tooth and nail to stop this assault on our rights.”
“Behind the Republican hypocrisy in filling Justice Ginsburg’s seat within weeks of an election, lies a massive special interest operation,” said Senator Whitehouse.“It has system and structure and hundreds of millions of anonymous dollars and a complex web of front groups. The scheme is run like a covert op against our own country. It seeks to undermine public health care and reproductive freedom, the right to vote, basic worker protections, a clean and safe environment, and equal protection under law. It seeks to hobble American institutions like the jury and independent regulatory agencies, and deny Americans transparency about political spending. These new reports shine more light on the dark money forces out to capture our courts, showing exactly what captured courts mean for Americans.”
In May, Stabenow, Schumer and Whitehouse released a report to shed a light on the right-wing takeover of our judicial system. Working hand in hand with the administration and anonymously funded outside groups, the Senate has confirmed more than 200 new life-tenured federal judges to aggressively remake the federal courts and rewrite the Constitution. Most were chosen not for their qualifications or experience—which are often lacking—but for their demonstrated allegiance to Republican Party political goals.
###
