Audio/Video Available: On Press Call, National Civil Rights Leaders Address Challenges After the Passing of Justice Ginsburg
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Kawana Lloyd, People For the American Way, [email protected], 240.472.2860;
Rafael Medina, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, [email protected], 202.869.0390;
Zack Ford, Alliance for Justice, [email protected] 717.512.5819;
Gillian Branstetter, National Women’s Law Center, [email protected], 202.588.5180
WASHINGTON – Today, Saturday, September 19, at 3 pm ET, principals of four major civil and legal rights advocacy organizations held a press call outlining the threats to our democracy if Donald Trump and the Republican Senate attempt to force confirmation of a successor to the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Participating organizations were People For the American Way, Alliance for Justice, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the National Women’s Law Center.
You can watch video of the Zoom press call here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSLIkEYR9pY&feature=youtu.be
“I deeply mourn the passing of Associate Justice Ginsburg. As a staunch advocate for equal rights for all, Justice Ginsburg worked tirelessly to make the U.S. live up to its ideals. If 269 days was too close to an election to fill Justice Scalia’s seat, then 46 days is too close to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat. The fate of the next 50 years of civil rights, the rule of law, and legitimate democracy is at stake. Alliance for Justice joins everyone who recognizes this effort to undermine our democracy to fight against this with everything we can,” said Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice.
“Justice Ginsburg dedicated her entire career to public service, reminding us that the Supreme Court belongs to all of us — not to any party or politician. With the elections underway, the American people are already engaging in the democratic process to decide who they want to lead us through this global pandemic, to answer their calls for racial justice, and now to appoint the next Supreme Court Justice. The Senate must not consider any nomination until after the next president is installed,” said Vanita Gupta, President and CEO, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
“Of the many lessons we must take from Justice Ginsburg’s life, perhaps none is more prescient than the need to reject the temptation of pessimism and embrace the grit and determination it takes to see every fight to the end. With so much at stake, it would be unconscionable for President Trump and Majority Leader McConnell to once again cheat the people of this country out of their chance to be heard. McConnell and his allies in the Senate must decide whether they can make a principled decision to stand by their own words, or rush through a nomination that will bring irreparable harm to the integrity of themselves, the Court, and our democracy itself,” said Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center:
“Justice Ginsburg, like Thurgood Marshall before her, is somebody who spent her life fighting to affirm and protect the rights of everyone in this country. She was a pathbreaking, fierce civil rights lawyer who rose to be on the Supreme Court of our country,” said Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way. “There is not a majority in the country that wants the extreme right wing to have six out of nine justices on the Supreme Court. This fight is fundamentally about the will of the people of this country, their right to have their voice reflected in the next nominee that is chosen – the last wish of Justice Ginsburg – and the need to protect health care for the people of our country.”
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org.
About Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 120 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. Since 1979, AFJ has been the leader in advocating for a fair and independent justice system, preserving access to the courts, and empowering others to stand up and fight for their causes. Learn more at https://www.afj.org/
About The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 220 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.
About the National Women’s Law Center
The National Women’s Law Center fights for gender justice — in the courts, in public policy, and in our society — working across the issues that are central to the lives of women and girls. We use the law in all its forms to change culture and drive solutions to the gender inequity that shapes our society and to break down the barriers that harm all of us — especially those who face multiple forms of discrimination, including women of color, LGBTQ people, and low-income women and families. For more than 45 years, we have been on the leading edge of every major legal and policy victory for women.