Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Senate Judiciary Committee Taking Action To Authorize Subpoenas To Restore Confidence In The Supreme Court

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s votes to authorize subpoenas for Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo to restore confidence in the Supreme Court. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

The words etched on the front of the Supreme Court read “Equal Justice Under Law.”

But when ultra-rich ideologues can use their wealth to potentially leapfrog to the front of the line of justice, the promise of equal justice is violated, and the result is a crisis of confidence in the integrity of our courts.

So today, the Senate Judiciary Committee is taking an important step to restore Americans’ confidence in the Supreme Court by voting to authorize subpoenas to Harlan Crow and Leonard Leo, who have both used their power and wealth to gain undisclosed access to Supreme Court Justices.

I support the Judiciary Committee’s vote to authorize these subpoenas, because, frankly, the American people are tired of seeing reports of Supreme Court justices accepting lavish gifts and vacations from billionaires and MAGA extremists.

And then these same justices turn around and gut affirmative action, block student debt relief for millions of Americans, greenlight discrimination against the LGBTQ community, and so much else. The hypocrisy is undeniable, and the American people see right through it. Having these very same billionaires who are pushing cases through the Court have the ability to travel in jets and go to resorts and buy them gifts, it’s just outrageous. So today, Senate Democrats are taking action to look under the hood and make sure we increase transparency, which these subpoenas would do.

Once again, I support the Senate Judiciary’s vote to authorize these subpoenas. I thank Chairman Durbin and my colleagues on the committee for their work.

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