Feinstein: Next Justice Could Determine Fate of Critical Rights and Protections

Washington—Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on what’s at stake in the nomination of a new Supreme Court justice: 

            “In the days since the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, there has been a lot of talk about when her seat should be filled. The reason this is so important – and the reason I oppose moving forward with a nomination before the presidential inauguration – is that the next justice will have an enormous effect on many critical issues.

            “Consider the impact a firmly conservative, 6-3 Supreme Court could have on key cases:

• “It could gut the Affordable Care Act and find the law unconstitutional, as President Trump has called for. This would cause millions to lose health insurance and jeopardize the 129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition.
• “It could rule on abortion rights cases that could result in reduced access to reproductive care for women across the country, or even go so far as to overturn Roe v. Wade itself.

• “It could affect the DACA program, which protects young people who were brought to the United States through no choice of their own. This could lead to mass deportations of people – of Americans – who have never lived anywhere else but here.

• “It could overturn protections for LGBT Americans, including the fundamental right of marriage for all and the right not to be discriminated against because of sexual orientation.

• “And it could weaken environmental protections, many of which were put in place during the Obama administration, that increase fuel efficiency, safeguard clean water and demand greater effort to address the climate crisis.

            “The debate we’re having is about whether the rights and protections Americans have gained over the years will be undone by a more conservative court.”