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Van Hollen Statement on Trump Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett

Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement on President Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court: 

“By nominating Amy Coney Barrett and rushing the Senate to confirm her before November 3rd, President Trump is not only telling the American people that their voices in the upcoming election don’t matter, but also that he wants a justice who will try to dismantle the legacy of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Donald Trump promised he would nominate a justice who would strike down the Affordable Care Act and eliminate a woman’s right to reproductive freedom. He has found that person in Amy Coney Barrett. 

“Barrett is an ultra-right wing jurist who falls way outside the judicial mainstream and will vote to dismantle many of the rights and freedoms we hold dear. She has spent her entire career siding with powerful special interests – like the National Rifle Association and big corporations who want to spend unlimited amounts of money to elect representatives who will do their bidding – against the rights of individuals, workers, and consumers. 

“I have said many times that the decisions of the nine individuals with lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court have a direct impact on who we are as Americans and the future of our democracy. No president has ever nominated someone to the Supreme Court this close to a presidential election. We must use every legal tool available to stop this abuse of power.”