Tiny Action: Stop SCOTUS Nominees

This action has been UPDATED July 11, 2018 to reflect the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh.

It’s been a difficult two weeks for those fighting for progress in the US, both domestically and overseas, but the energy from you and our other members continues to inspire. Many have reached out to volunteer or find other opportunities to help, whether it be about attending recent global protests, driving voter registration at a July 4th event or — in line with our Tiny Action theme this week — doing everything we can to stop Republicans from securing another Supreme Court appointment after Justice Kennedy’s surprise announcement.

This week’s Tiny Action: Call your Senators to demand they block the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court - ESPECIALLY IF YOU VOTE IN ALASKA, ALABAMA, INDIANA, MAINE, NORTH DAKOTA OR WEST VIRGINIA

If your senator is a Republican or Donnelly (IN), Heitkamp (ND) or Manchin (WV):

Hi my name is [NAME]. I’m a vote from [STATE], but I currently live in [LOCATION]. I vote for my Senators from here and also volunteer to help Americans abroad vote.

I’m calling to tell the Senator that s/he simply must refuse to vote for the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court prior to the midterm elections, and I ask the Senator to vet the nominee - who served for years as a political operative in addition to judge and lawyer - the same way Elena Kagan was vetted. I need all of his emails while working in the Bush White House to be made public for the review of the Senator's office, media and citizens.

[IF CALLING DONNELLY/HEITKAMP/MANCHIN:] I was incredibly disappointed by the Senator’s support of Gorsuch, and by looking at the recent Supreme Court decisions, I would expect that the Senator regrets that. It will get so much worse with an even more conservative majority, something a Kavanaugh appointment would virtually guarantee.

[IF CALLING A REPUBLICAN:] I understand that Republicans believe Supreme Court Justices should not be considered in an election year. As an American overseas, I’m very aware of federal election years, because many of us are only allowed to vote in federal elections. But federal elections include midterms, as I know, you know and the Senator knows.

I am especially concerned by Kavanaugh's stance on:

[CHOOSE ALL OR SOME OF THE FOLLOWING]

Net neutrality

The environment and the EPA

Women's Health

Healthcare

LGBT equality

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and corporate responsibility

and the belief that the President while in office is virtually above the law.

The Senator represents the people, and most Americans disagree with the judge on these issues. There’s no reason to consider a replacement on the Supreme Court before elections, when the American people will once again make their voices heard, and frankly, there’s no way a Supreme Court appointment could be done fairly, with the Mueller investigation still underway. If the Senator goes against the will of the people by voting for Kavanaugh at this point, I’ll be voting against him/her [when s/he is up for reelection].

Thanks for your time.

[NAME AND VOTING ADDRESS IF LEAVING A MESSAGE]

If your Senator is a Democrat other than those mentioned above:

Hi my name is [NAME]. I’m a vote from [STATE], but I currently live in [LOCATION]. I vote for my Senators from here and also volunteer to help Americans abroad vote.

I’m calling to tell the Senator that s/he simply must vote no for Kavanaugh, particularly prior to the midterm elections. I believe that Merrick Garland’s Supreme Court seat was stolen. I will not sit quietly and let another nomination move forward that does not reflect the beliefs of Americans today.

I know the Senator agrees with me on this. But I need him/her to be loud about this. Civility is important and I appreciate that, but we lost Garland’s seat because of civility. We may be losing immigration because of civility. We might even lose the midterms because of civility in the face of voter disenfranchisement. The Senator’s constituents are taking to the streets. I need the Senator to reflect that passion in Congress.

I ask the Senator to vet the nominee - who served for years as a political operative in addition to judge and lawyer - the same way Elena Kagan was vetted. I need all of his emails while working in the Bush White House to be made public for the review of the Senator's office, media and citizens.

Of course, we want our leaders to go high when they go low. But people are literally crying out for the senator to do something. Regardless of how hopeless s/he may think this particular fight is, we need to see him/her representing us, and fighting for us tooth and nail to stop another Trump SCOTUS nominee.

There’s no reason to consider a replacement on the Supreme Court before elections, when the American people will once again make their voices heard, and frankly, there’s no way a vote on Kavanaugh could be done fairly, with the Mueller investigation still underway. I am especially concerned by Kavanaugh's stance on:

[CHOOSE ALL OR SOME OF THE FOLLOWING]

Net neutrality

The environment and the EPA

Women's Health

Healthcare

LGBT equality

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and corporate responsibility

and the belief that the President while in office is virtually above the law.

The Senator represents the people, and most Americans disagree with the judge on these issues. Please do everything you can to fight for us.

When we take back Congress in November, and I certainly hope we do, we can consider being civil again. But if Kavanaugh is appointed in the meantime, it will be time to pack the Supreme Court.

Expanding the bench to eleven justices will enable us to appoint judges who can fairly adjudicate over a country that is far more progressive and far more liberal than the current Supreme Court would indicate. I know this is a big ask. But it’s a big issue.

I need the Senator to be strong on this. I’m grateful for his/her fighting for us, and thank you for your time.

[NAME AND VOTING ADDRESS IF LEAVING A MESSAGE]

Looking for more? After you’ve requested your ballot, help ensure we take back Congress this fall.

WHY THIS MATTERS

It’s not just about telling Republicans we’ll #votethemout. It’s about showing them all how much this matters to their constituents, and that we want a SCOTUS that represents our country and not just who is in power.

Kavanaugh's confirmation would solidify a conservative majority on the court for decades. The argument that conservatives are constitutional purists is wrong. This is a banner they will continue to use to strip power from regulatory agencies, walk back civil rights for minorities, strengthen gun rights and create barriers to infringe on the rights of American citizens to make their own health - including life and death - decisions.

While Kavanaugh may not be the most extreme candidate provided by the Heritage Foundation (an unofficial nominating process that is in itself already problematic), he is the ONLY one who has offered any opinion on whether a sitting president should face civil or criminal suits. In his mind, they pose a distraction and should wait until after the president is no longer in office.

Republican Senators need only a majority vote to confirm a Supreme Court Justice, which they currently have, but just barely (51-49). While Senate Majority Leader McConnell refused to give Merrick Garland a vote under Obama, he now insists that the process to replace Justice Kennedy will begin immediately, with a vote before midterms — even before the Mueller investigation reveals its findings. Hypocritical? Yes. Surprising? No.

We need everyone’s voice on this one because there simply is no other way to stop it. We need every single Senator — from the far right to the far left, and those in the middle like Democratic Sens. Manchin (WV), Heitkamp (ND) and Donnelly (IN) who voted for Gorsuch and are up for reelection this year — to know we are watching and voting, and we will not let them ignore the voice of the people.

MORE INFO

Receive our actions each week by signing up on the Tiny Actions page. If you don't see the Subscribe button, you'll need to sign in first. Be sure to forward and share with other activists, too.

As always, our aim is to turn tiny actions into big results, so we hope we can continue to count on your help! Please send suggestions for our next tiny action to info at democratsabroad dot org.

Do you like this post?