Issued September 26, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WASHINGTON—SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill Justice Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat:
“This nomination is about whether millions of Americans will be able to keep going to the doctor when they are sick. On November 10, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in President Trump’s latest attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. If the president gets his way, he and Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be responsible for ripping healthcare away from millions of working people in the middle of a pandemic. Judge Barrett has already spoken out against the ACA. Make no mistake about it. Our health, and the health of our families, is on the line.
“Voters need to decide who will nominate Justice Ginsburg’s replacement. People are already casting their ballots and we have seen all year that more working people than ever are declaring that their vote is essential. Moving forward with Judge Barrett’s nomination is a slap in the face to the working people who have taken to the streets to demand a reckoning that will unrig the rules that make it hard for essential workers to succeed. Instead of starting another fight intended to divide us against each other, Republican senators should heed the calls of working people by prioritizing their health and safety by passing a COVID relief package that ensures all essential workers have personal protective equipment, paid sick days, and a living wage.
“SEIU members and the millions of working people united in the Fight for $15 and a Union have never listened to the pundits who told them to give up a fight that was too hard. They are going to continue to make it crystal clear to Republican senators that if they move forward with Judge Barrett’s nomination they will be held responsible at the ballot box.”