Judge Gorsuch: A Threat to Women, Workers and the Environment
Advocacy groups across the country sounded the alarm on Judge Gorsuch. Take a look at excerpts from some of their statements:
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights:
During his over 10 years on the federal bench, Gorsuch has proven to be a conservative ideologue who has consistently ruled against civil rights, women's rights, and workers' rights. And he has expounded a judicial philosophy that would prevent the federal government from properly enforcing countless acts of Congress.
The president could have nominated an independent or consensus candidate for this seat, someone like Merrick Garland, whose record has proven to be unimpeachable.
Instead he chose Neil Gorsuch to be a rubber stamp and yet another ‘yes man' for this administration.
With a clear track record of supporting an agenda that undermines abortion access and endangers women, there is no doubt that Gorsuch is a direct threat to Roe v. Wade and the promise it holds for women's equality. The fact that the court has repeatedly reaffirmed Roe over the past four decades would no longer matter, just as facts often don't seem to matter to President Trump. Confirming Gorsuch to a lifetime on the Supreme Court would make good on Trump's repeated promises to use his appointments to overturn Roe v. Wade and punish women.
The Supreme Court has played a central role in advancing the promise of equality for LGBTQ Americans, and Judge Gorsuch's anti-equality record -- from opposing crucial medical treatment for a transgender person to supporting a license to discriminate for private corporations -- make him unfit to sit on the nation's highest court. We cannot afford a justice who will roll back our rights, or who will be a rubber stamp for Donald Trump's unconstitutional actions. And America cannot afford to have Judge Gorsuch on the Supreme Court. We oppose this nomination.
American Civil Liberties Union:
Judge Gorsuch's record, including his decision in the Hobby Lobby case, raises questions about whether he would allow businesses and individuals to opt out of nondiscrimination laws based on religious objections. And his commitment to an ‘originalist' theory of constitutional interpretation that disregards our nation's evolving understandings of constitutional rights is also of concern."
Service Employees International Union:
"President Trump's nomination of Judge Gorsuch is a step backwards for every American who wants a good job, the opportunity for a better life for their family, and a real voice in our economy and democracy. Judge Gorsuch will only help rig the system even worse against working families and our communities.
… "Judge Gorsuch's record does not demonstrate the depth of commitment to these people, our values or the belief that the Constitution protects all of us that we must demand of any nominee. Judge Gorsuch holds the extreme view that judges can ignore the agencies that interpret and enforce laws -- meaning he's willing to decimate clean air and water laws and consumer and worker protections from the bench. He consistently rules against workers and for corporations, and against women's access to reproductive healthcare. Judge Gorsuch would not bring the change the American people want: his confirmation would result in a Supreme Court that would rule in favor of lawless executive actions, corporate CEOs and extremists to rig our economy and democracy even further against working families. The Senate must reject this nominee."
"As with all Supreme Court nominees, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund will thoroughly review Judge Gorsuch's record in the area of civil rights and release a report providing our analysis of that record. Already, we are deeply troubled by statements Judge Gorsuch has made criticizing the role of courts in protecting equal rights—bemoaning an ‘addiction to constitutional litigation'—and decisions that have undermined legal protections for workers, women, students with disabilities, and victims of police violence and employment discrimination. Judge Gorsuch has also advocated radical restrictions on the federal government's authority that could threaten its ability to guarantee equal opportunity. We will be undertaking a deep look at these and other areas in the coming days."
"As the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court must be composed of justices that are fair, even-handed, and thoughtful. Unfortunately, Judge Gorsuch, Donald Trump's choice to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, is none of those things and must be rejected. Gorsuch has proven himself hostile to environmental protection, women's rights, and the rights of workers and cannot be trusted to protect our air, our water, or our communities.
"The Supreme Court has the responsibility of deciding on the cases that protect everything from our clean air and water to our civil rights and liberties. Gorsuch is not fit for that responsibility. Gorsuch has shown he will prioritize his warped ideological views instead of using our Constitution as a guide. His dangerous views favor polluters and industry over the rights of the people. His record shows that he will limit the access of everyday Americans to the courts and prevent agencies like the EPA from fulfilling their mission and doing their job to protect our air, water, and health. He's even been described as more extreme than Justice Scalia."
[National Urban League President Marc] Morial said he was concerned about Gorsuch's apparent judicial extremism and criticism of those who have sought advancement of individual rights through the courts.
Morial said he was especially alarmed by Gorsuch's ruling in an excessive force claim in which a police used a stun gun to kill a young man suspected of growing marijuana. Gorsuch said the use of force was justified even though "the crime of which he was suspected was not itself a violent one, he was likely to be apprehended eventually and he hadn't harmed anyone yet."
Morial also noted Gorsuch has consistently ruled against the rights of workers and consumers who were harmed by employers and corporations, and against disabled students pursuing their right to a meaningful education.
"Gorsuch should also be opposed because of a far right record that is consistently hostile to the rights and protections of working people," said [co-President Deborah] Burger. "Last year in blocking President Obama's nomination, Republicans said the court could function just fine with only eight members. Let's hold them to that now."
Over the past 10 years with the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, Gorsuch has written at least 15 labor and employment rulings. Twelve of those rulings involved federal race, sex, age, disability and political discrimination and retaliation claims. Gorsuch's opinions aligned with employers in eight of the 12 cases.
The American people are loudly demanding answers about Trump's financial conflicts of interest, his radical executive actions since assuming office, and even the legitimacy of his election. Protests are raging across the country against his radical agenda. For these reasons, President Trump should have chosen a consensus candidate for the Supreme Court. Whoever occupies this lifetime position must reflect the values and views of the American people—and must, now more than ever, be up to the challenge of serving as a check on the other branches.
Instead, Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch, a conservative extremist who will put Trump's agenda and wealthy special interests ahead of the needs of average Americans. Gorsuch wants to give unelected judges more power to strike down federal regulations that protect consumers and the environment. He has repeatedly sided with big business and against workers. Gorsuch has also ruled against women's access to contraception and workers claiming discrimination. Gorsuch would likely continue the Supreme Court's trend of ruling in favor of corporations and against American workers and consumers.