FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 26, 2020

CONTACTS:
Christopher Vasquez, NCLR Communications Director
415.365.1337 | cvasquez@nclrights.org

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Today, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ginsburg, only days after Justice Ginsburg’s death and before her burial at Arlington National Cemetery next week.  After the death of Justice Scalia in 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that no justice should be confirmed in a presidential election year. McConnell has now reversed that position and seeks to rush confirmation of Coney Barrett before the election – a move that is opposed by 57% of American voters.   

Statement by Imani Rupert Gordon, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights:

“The unseemly rush to approve a new Supreme Court justice just days after Justice Ginsburg’s death is a naked power grab that demeans our country and democracy,” said Rupert-Gordon. “After stealing an appointment from President Obama, Senate Republicans have now abandoned their previously stated rule and seek to jam through a Supreme Court nomination in record time, without even a semblance of genuine process. A majority of the American people believe Justice Ginsburg’s replacement should be selected by the winner of the next election, which is already underway.

This shameless process is an insult to Justice Ginsburg and to the dignity of the Court. We call on Senators to halt this travesty, respect the wishes of the people, and allow the next president to nominate a new justice to the Court.”     

# # #

The National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Since its founding, NCLR has maintained a longstanding commitment to racial and economic justice and the LGBTQ community’s most vulnerable. https://www.nclrights.org