The Senate just voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Dr. Jamila Perritt, ob/gyn and President and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health, responded with the following statement:
“Today, we condemn the Senate’s vote to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. This unprecedented and illegitimate confirmation is disastrous for our collective wellbeing and for the health and wellbeing of patients across the country. Judge Barrett has made it abundantly clear she has no concern for our fundamental rights. Barrett spent her nomination hearings dodging questions on reproductive health care access, including abortion and contraception, the Affordable Care Act, racial justice, and voting rights. Our ability to make decisions about our bodies and our lives is at risk, and the confirmation of Judge Barrett has put our very humanity at stake.
This unprecedented and illegitimate confirmation is disastrous for our collective wellbeing
“Barrett’s confirmation comes just days before the election, and right before a case that will determine the fate of the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to be argued before the Supreme Court. This hastily rushed confirmation once again shifts the balance of the Court and is an insult to the life and legacy of Justice Ginsburg, whose dying wish was that a new Justice not be confirmed until after the election.
“The Senate has allowed this confirmation process to come at the expense of efforts to pass much needed relief during a global pandemic. In the wake of losing more than 220,000 lives to COVID-19, communities across the nation require urgent action to address widespread suffering such as unemployment assistance, help putting food on the table, and ensuring families can keep a roof over their head. The Senate has failed to provide the support, dignity, and relief we deserve.”
