Last night, Trump nominated federal appeals court judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat left by Anthony Kennedy’s retirement. This morning, Politico reported that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to block Kavanaugh and told CBS This Morning that “I don’t think he would have been put on this list had he not been one of these hard right judges.”
Who is Kavanaugh, though, other than one of the judges who famously argued for Clinton’s impeachment? We’ve compiled a list of just some of the reasons why Trump’s pick would be dangerous. You can call your senator’s office and let them know that you’re against Kavanaugh’s appointment via the Congressional switchboard: (202) 224-3121.
1. He doesn’t believe in access to safe birth control and abortion.
Though Kavanaugh hasn’t yet spoken publicly about his thoughts on Roe v. Wade, Democrats have been preparing for the worst since Trump guaranteed that he would select a nominee who believed in reversing the decision. What we do know is that in 2015, Kavanaugh argued that birth control coverage under Obamacare was at odds with religious freedom, and last year, Kavanaugh also dissented from a decision to allow an undocumented teenager in detention to seek an abortion. Read more on CNN.
2. He’s been cleared by anti-LGBTQ organizations.
The Human Rights Campaign released a statement yesterday calling on the Senate to reject Kavanaugh. “This nominee was hand-picked by anti-LGBTQ, anti-choice groups in an explicit effort to undermine equality—and the prospect of a Justice Kavanaugh threatens to erode our nation’s civil rights laws, block transgender troops from bravely serving this nation and allow a license to discriminate against LGBTQ people in every aspect of American life,” said President Chad Griffin. Read his full statement here.
3. The NAACP has spoken out against him.
Today, the NAACP also released a statement warning against Kavanaugh. “The NAACP knows Judge Kavanaugh well,” the association said. “He has been a strong and consistent voice for the wealthy and the powerful. With a Justice Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court, we could see reversals of hard-won gains securing equal opportunity in education, employment, and housing.” Read the full statement here.
4. He’s backed by the NRA.
“President Trump has made another outstanding choice in nominating Brett Kavanaugh for the U.S. Supreme Court,” said Chris W. Cox, the Executive Director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, in a statement. “He has an impressive record that demonstrates his strong support for the Second Amendment.” Kavanaugh’s most famous show of support was a strong dissent in opposition to Heller v. District of Columbia, which upheld an ordinance banning most semi-automatic rifles, reported The Chicago Tribune.
5. He has a terrible track record when it comes to climate change and the environment.
The League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski stated today that “Kavanaugh has consistently come down on the side of Big Polluters instead of protecting clean water and clean air for all…he’s ruled to put more mercury and toxic pollutants in our air, and to make it harder to address climate change.” Read the full statement here.
6. He will likely uphold the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda.
Andrew Hanna of Politico points to two major Kavanaugh dissents on immigration: “In Fogo de Chao v. Department of Homeland Security, Kavanaugh opposed granting special visas for Brazilian workers when American workers could do the same job,” he writes. “And in Agri Processor v. NLRB, Kavanaugh said a union election should have been voided because it was ‘tainted’ by votes from undocumented immigrants.” Read more on Politico.
Photo: United States Court of Appeals District Of Columbia Circuit
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