WASHINGTON – This afternoon, news broke that Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee will boycott tomorrow’s planned vote to advance Amy Barrett’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their move will send a clear message about this power grab less than two weeks before Election Day, when over 42 million Americans have already voted.
The development comes on the heels of Barrett submitting responses to written questions from senators following her Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. In response to questions from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), she flat out refused to answer whether states could make abortion care a felony if Roe v. Wade is overturned or punish people seeking abortion care with the death penalty. She also refused to answer whether states could prosecute people for using contraception if Roe is overturned.
This after Barrett refused to answer even basic questions in the hearing. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans tried to play coy about their agenda to end legal abortion and Barrett’s role in realizing their decades-long goal of overturning Roe v. Wade. Now we have even more cause for concern.
“Amy Barrett’s refusal to make clear that putting a woman to death for seeking abortion care is wrong and should never be permitted is both shocking and disqualifying,” said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. “This country has a clear consensus around basic freedoms and rights and these non-answers not only undermine those, but put them in perilous danger. We strongly applaud the Senate Democrats making clear how egregious and antidemocratic this entire process is by refusing to dignify it with their presence. We will be outside with them calling attention to the dystopian future this nominee represents where women and pregnant people are controlled and criminalized by politicians with a malicious agenda.”