WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after voting against the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, President Trump’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Barret was confirmed by a final Senate vote of 52-48 . A bipartisan group of senators opposed her nomination.
“As the nation battles a pandemic that has killed over 225,000 Americans including over 960 New Mexicans, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans jammed through a completely partisan nominee for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. They did so contrary to the last wishes of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and instead of passing desperately needed relief for the millions of Americans who are sick, out of work, or closing their businesses for good because of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic.
“Republicans went back on their word that a Justice could not be confirmed eight months before an election, now installing a nominee 8 days before election day, while Americans are casting their votes. It is no secret that Republicans’ hypocrisy is all in service of securing the necessary Supreme Court votes to dismantle the Affordable Care Act which would rip away health care from millions in the middle of a pandemic, including 834,700 New Mexicans with pre-existing conditions and over 250,000 who became eligible for Medicaid through the Medicaid expansion.
“President Trump – aided and abetted by Senate Republicans – has overtly voiced his desire to put a judge on the Supreme Court who will rule in his favor in any disputed election. That’s a tactic of authoritarians – and Judge Barrett’s recent statements that a commitment to a peaceful transfer of power is a ‘political controversy’ demonstrate her loyalty to the Republican party over the preservation of American democracy.
“Equally troubling are Judge Barrett’s clear position against Roe v. Wade and her denial of well-established climate science. Judge Barrett’s likely decisions in cases concerning these most existential and defining questions about New Mexicans’ future were in front of mind today when I voted against her confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Today is an awful day for the Supreme Court and United States Senate, but the story does not end here. Americans will not tolerate a far-right majority on the Supreme Court that tears up decades of precedent to strip health care away from millions, tip the scales of our elections, or block the federal government from acting on climate change. If the Supreme Court goes down those paths, I believe there will be a very strong reaction to correct the course.”
This week, Udall took to the Senate floor to outline his opposition to Judge Barrett’s nomination. Udall also published an op-ed with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) warning that repeal of the Affordable Care Act would rip away health care from millions in Native communities. Udall’s floor speech can be viewed HERE and his op-ed with Warren can be read HERE .
No Supreme Court Justice has ever been confirmed this close to a presidential election in history. In early November, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a Republican-led lawsuit to subvert the Affordable Care Act, including critical protections for those with pre-existing conditions.
