Last night, President Trump announced his pick for justice of the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch.
His appointment would be disastrous for women’s access to reproductive care. A Tenth Circuit Judge, appointed by anti-choice President Bush, Gorsuch stands opposed to the right to abortion care. He concurred with the Tenth Circuit’s anti-choice ruling in Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. v. Sebelius on religious exemptions upholding an employer’s right to deny birth control to their employees.
At a time when the President is attempting to enforce unconstitutional and bigoted executive actions against immigrants and refugees, the checks and balances of a strong judicial branch are needed more than ever. Gorsuch won’t provide that.
Supreme Court decisions play a critical role in our effort to create a more perfect union but the Supreme Court is not a perfect body. The same institution that affirmed our right to access education with Brown v. Board of Education, our right to marry whomever we love with Loving v. Virginia, the right the make decisions about our bodies with Roe v. Wade and our right to vote with Shelby County v. Holder, also created the concept of “separate but equal” in Plessy v. Ferguson. It ruled that the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II was constitutional in Korematsu v. U.S. And it opened the door for a host of state-level anti-abortion restrictions in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Now, more than ever, we need Supreme Court justices that will uphold the constitutional rights of our communities and focus on dignity, liberation, and equality for every family.
Unfortunately, Neil Gorsuch will not be such a justice. Forward Together urges our legislators to stand up for the essential rights of women, families and our communities and reject Gorsuch for Supreme Court Justice.
Eveline Shen, Executive Director
Forward Together