WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court:
“We knew that if Donald Trump picked anyone off his list of extremists, fundamental rights would be at stake. Now, the decision has arrived, and everything we feared is on the line.
“Roe v. Wade could be overturned and abortion and forms of contraception criminalized. Americans with pre-existing conditions could lose life-saving health care. Marriage equality could be overturned. Racial inequality and blatant voter suppression could be further embraced by the highest court in the land.
“These are no longer wild hypotheticals; these are real and imminent threats to our nation.
“The justices of the Supreme Court should be selected based on the wisdom, experience, and values they bring to the job, not hand-picked by ideological organizations committed to rolling back the ability of women, minorities, workers, and consumers to participate fully and freely in society. To safeguard the rights of all Americans and our founding vision of a ‘We the People’ nation, Americans must rise up and make their voices heard in the U.S. Senate.”
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