Tonight, flowers are strewn on the steps of the Supreme Court, where “Equal Justice Under Law” is carved in stone. More than a thousand people gathered there tonight to mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died today from cancer at age 87.
I cannot describe the sadness, combined with rage and disgust, I have felt since hearing the news of RBG's death and the McConnell response, which was truly appalling. It is particularly hard for those of us who tonight have been wishing our friends, family, and neighbors Shana Tovah and a "sweet, prosperous, and happy New Year." I have lived through so many changes to the ways in which women experience the world--and have lived through the revolting backlashes of those whose view of women is that they are not people but, rather, objects to use, abuse, and control. All I can say is that if we do not take this fight straight into the faces of the despicable people for whom RBG's death is an "opportunity" then we are not honoring her memory. Rest, dear Ruth: you have deserved it. The rest of us? We need to get to work.
Her parting gift: She told us what to do. Call and politely ask these Senators to keep the seat open until January 20, 2021: Lisa Murkowski: (202) 224-6665
Although I knew that Justice Ginsburg’s health was precarious, I was not prepared to feel so saddened by her death. Last night, I was numb. This morning, reading your obituary, I have tears pouring down my face. Such a life. Such character. How much we owe her. How she went to battle for us. Personally, I owe her my marriage. I owe her an existential sense of hope and well being. I am 72 years old and I vow I will try my best to walk in her footsteps and not let her down. Thank you Justice Ruth B Ginsburg for the good you have done. May you rest in piece.
I have another thought on the best way to honor Justice Ginsburg.
On Aug. 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment was ratified after Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Amendment. Passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was the capstone of a long and difficult struggle that began in the mid-1800s. Achieving passage and ratification required decades of activism and protest commencing with the first public demand for women’s suffrage at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Even following the Amendment’s first introduction to Congress in 1878, several generations of women supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many considered a radical change to the US Constitution.
Alice Stokes Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American suffragist and feminist who was one of the main leaders who fought for the 19th Amendment. In 1923, following its ratification, she continued the fight for full Constitutional recognition of equal rights for women with the drafting, proposal, and presentation to Congress of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). One hundred years after ratification of the 19th Amendment women are still waiting for formal ratification of the ERA.
In the early 1940s, both the Democratic Party and Republican Party added passage of the ERA to their party platforms. Yet it failed to pass Congress until its Congressional approval by first the Senate and then the House on March 22, 1972. Twenty-two states quickly ratified the Amendment leaving it short of the required 38 ratifying states needed. Eight ratifications followed in 1973, three in 1974, and one in 1975. In 1977, Indiana became the 35th state to ratify the ERA. As the original 1979 deadline for ratification approached the ERA remained three states short of the 38 required. Following an organized march on Washington by over 100,000 women, Congress passed a ratification extension to June 30, 1982, when it remained three states shy of ratification.
It has been reintroduced in every Congressional session since 1982. In March of 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the original ERA. Illinois followed in April 2018. On Jan. 27th, 2020 Virginia became the 38th state necessary to reach the required ratification threshold. Shortly thereafter on Feb. 13, 2020, the House passed HJ Res 79, the joint resolution to remove the original time limit assigned to the ERA. HJ Res 79 now awaits a vote in the US Senate.
Justice Ginsburg is a Women’s Rights icon. Her battles on behalf of the elimination of discriminatory laws on the basis of sex will be an important part of her legacy. Let’s honor that legacy by the Senate introducing and passing HJ 79 extending the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment and rename the Amendment the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Equal Rights Amendment. I can think of no more fitting tribute to her legacy than this.
For over two hundred and fifty days, Mitch McConnell stonewalled a president's nominee for SCOTUS. Tonight he did not wait two hours. Her tiny, frail body was not yet cold, yet he moved at warp speed to replace her. The hypocrisy is sickening. Shame, shame, shame! Thank you RBG, thank you HCR.
I cried when I heard of Justice Ginsburg's death. She was the light for all those seeking the promise of this country of equality and justice regardless of gender, sexual preference, skin pigmentation, and religion. This is the fight that we all must continues through our voices and our vote. Dr Richardson, thank you for this tribute.
I really wanted to only speak of Justice Ginsburg, but as usual, the senior senator from my state is stirring the pot as we say in Kentucky. I was appalled and ashamed that instead of speaking words of tribute to Justice Ginsburg, Mr. McConnell has to show he values party over country. I have sent an email to his office (his voice mail is always conveniently full) about my disgust over his apparent lack of respect to the memory of Justice Ginsburg and to her family in his response. (Please don't ask me why Kentuckians keep voting for him. I am weary of explaining that I have never voted for him. He is a consummate politician knowing what flaming arrows to shoot at his opponent and twisting the face to his advantage. ). I also reminded him of his words in 2016. However, the hearing on the Affordable Care Act explains his rush.
Rest in peace, Justice Ginsburg. Just know there are those who will continue your fight for justice and equality. Those who oppose those concepts will not win.
Thank you Heather. when i heard about RBG's death i immediately thought about you and what your newsletter would say. This is a beautiful tribute for an amazing woman. We can worry about the fallout in another post.
“She rarely slept.” Like you! My older brother, Tom, turned me onto your letters. Upon this sad news tonight, many of us in my family were texting our panic at the prospect of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump’s machine replacing our stalwart for justice, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with a conservative judge. Tom, like you, focused on the gift of Justice Ginsburg’s life, her service to our nation and her incredible legacy.
Justice Ginsburg's memorial should read "she made them take their foot of our necks" and that speaks not only for women! The battle now, in the time remaining to Trump/McConnell, is to stop them being able to step on our necks again...now and far into the future. "No holds barred" must be the battle cry in the fight to stop them confirming and inaugurating a new SCOTUS member before Jan 20th. It must be made clear that any attempt to place an inappopriate person in RBG's seat will be met by massive and popular resistance and thereafter, should it be necessary, by impeachment or nomination of a 10th and 11th judge...as there is no constituional limit to the number of judges...just a tradition which seemingly only the Democrats respect. We can't let them bias the Supreme Court for evermore and thus destroy our freedom!
Well done, HCR. Her work was my touchstone when I debated the ERA in the 70s. I am not a lawyer, and needed help articulating why the ERA was necessary. I stumbled into her work When visiting the law library during grad school. Her writing helped me see exactly why the 14th amendment did not protect women. Years later I was stunned to hear she’d been nominated for the Supreme Court, having no idea how important she had become. Thank you for summing up her career, and Sharing the immediate surge in tributes to help like-Minded candidates. Sad day for Americans.
Thank you for the history of Justice Ginsburg's journey. This is a wonderful memorial. May she rest in peace. May the rest of us get off of the couch, quit staring at our I-phones and
An amazing person from another group compiled a list of senator’s own words from 2016 to put on postcards and she has addresses. She has done the work. Please write to these senators!
Senator Mike Lee
361A Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: "We think that the American people need a chance to weigh in on this issue, on who will fill that seat. They’ll have that chance this November and they outghta have that chance." So, it's 2020, and the shoe still fits. Please don't be a hypocrite: do the right thing by delaying SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021.
Senator Lindsey Graham
290 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2018: "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, We'll wait to the next election." Those are your words, sir. Keep your word. SCOTUS nomination hearings should not start until 2021.
Senator Marco Rubio
284 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I don’t think we should be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term. I would say that if it were a Republican President.” It’s 2020 & the same circumstances, so SAY IT: We shouldn’t be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term. Please prove you are a man of your word. Don’t be a hypocrite.
Senator Ron Johnson
328 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
In 2016, you wrote: “ In a very unique moment in time, eight months before an election where the American public will decide the direction of the country, why not let the American people decide the direction of the Supreme Court...Let the American people decide.” So, it's 2020 and the shoe still fits, only it 45 days until the election, not 8 months. Please do the right thing, and hold the SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021. Please, don't be a hypocrite.
Senator Cory Gardner
354 Russel Senate Office Bldg
Washington DC 20510
You in 2016: “Our next election is too soon and the stakes are too high; the American People deserve a role in this process as the next Supreme Court Justice will influence the direction of this country for years to come.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. The American people still deserve a role in the SCOTUS nomination process, unless you plan on being a hypocrite. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and trust you will do the right thing.
Senator John Barrasso
307 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “The American people will soon decide our next president. That person should get to choose the next supreme Court Nominee. Give the people a voice and let them chart the course for the court and the country.” So, it’s now 2020, and the shoe still fits. The people still deserve a voice to chart the course for the court and country. Please don’t be a hypocrite: SCOTUS nominations must wait until 2021.
Senator Pat Toomey
248 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “With the presidential election fewer than 8 months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Do the right thing and let the American people use their voice; don’t be a hypocrite.
Senator John Thune
US Senate SD-511
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “Since the next presidential election is already underway, the next president should make this lifetime appointment to the supreme court.” Guess what? It’s 2020, and the shoe still fits.
Senator Chuck Grassley
135 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “A lifetime appointment that could dramatically impact individual freedoms and change the direction of the court for at least a generation is too important to get bogged down in politics. The American people shouldn’t be denied a voice.” Guess what? It’s 2020, it’s still important and the American people still shouldn’t be denied a voice. Please don’t be a hypocrite & do the right thing.
Senator John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “This is really about an important principle. It’s important to allow the voters, in choosing the next president of the United States, make that decision and make sure their voice is heard rather than just 100 members of the Senate.” So, it’s 2020, and the principles have not changed. Let the voters be heard. Please don’t be a hypocrite; do the right thing.
Senator Tom Cotton
124 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “In a few short months, we will have a new president and new senators who can consider the next justice with the full faith of the people…Why would we squelch the voice of the populace? Why would we deny the voters a chance to weight in?” So, it’s 2020. It’s 45 days until the presidential election, (days, not months). Don’t squelch our voices. Wait until after the election to confirm a new SCOTUS Justice.
Senator Steve Daines
320 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: The Senate should exercise its Constitutional powers by NOT confirming a new #SCOTUS Justice until Americans have their voices heard.” Well, it’s 2020, and Americans still need to have their voices heard. Don’t be a hypocrite: Do the right thing- No confirmation hearings until 2021.
Senator Rob Portman
448 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I believe the American people should have a voice in this debate. This is a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for generations, and I believe the best thing for the country is to trust the American people to weigh in.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits- which means the best thing for the country is to let us weigh in! Don’t be a hypocrite: Do the right thing- No confirmation hearings until 2021.
Senator David Perdue
320 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I believe the decision to not hold hearing for a supreme court nominee this year is a wise course of action in the midst of a presidential election.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Be wise: you SHOULD NOT hold hearing for a SCOTUS nominee in the midst of this presidential election.
Senator Ted Cruz
404 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “It has been 80 years since a Supreme Court vacancy was nominated and confirmed in an election year. There is a long tradition that you don’t do this in an election year.” So, it’s 2020, and we don’t want to break from tradition. Don’t be a hypocrite: Let the people have a voice!
Senator Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “There hasn’t been a vacancy created in a presidential election year filled in 80 years… so this vacancy will not be filled this year. We will look forward to the American people deciding who they want to make this appointment through their own votes.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Unless you’re a hypocrite, you must let the American people decide, just like they did in 2016.
Don’t even think about replacing the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just 45 days until our next presidential election. During the Merrick Garland Nomination you claimed there wasn’t sufficient time to vote, and that was eleven months prior to the election. You must remember it, after all, it was named, “The McConnell Rule.” Follow your own rules and hold the SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021.
I also wrote a thank you to Senator Murkowki, because she already took a stand and said she would not support filling the vacancy before 2021. Senator Murkowki, 552 Hart Senate Office Bldg, Washington DC. 20510
A 4th grader last year dressed as RBG for storybook character parade. I approached her and said I love it! The notorious RBG! Her face lit up! You know who I am! She wants to be a lawyer like her mom and become a Supreme Court justice and help people. I have no doubt that little girl has a very different life because of RBG! And will do great things!
My brothers went to my lawyer and tried to have me taken off of my parents estate as the executrix. My lawyer suggested they get their own representation. I had no idea! Thanks RBG! The ways Her Honor touched my life and every American are immeasurable!
Thank you Heather for this! I’ve been devastated. What will happen to us now?
I cannot describe the sadness, combined with rage and disgust, I have felt since hearing the news of RBG's death and the McConnell response, which was truly appalling. It is particularly hard for those of us who tonight have been wishing our friends, family, and neighbors Shana Tovah and a "sweet, prosperous, and happy New Year." I have lived through so many changes to the ways in which women experience the world--and have lived through the revolting backlashes of those whose view of women is that they are not people but, rather, objects to use, abuse, and control. All I can say is that if we do not take this fight straight into the faces of the despicable people for whom RBG's death is an "opportunity" then we are not honoring her memory. Rest, dear Ruth: you have deserved it. The rest of us? We need to get to work.
Her parting gift: She told us what to do. Call and politely ask these Senators to keep the seat open until January 20, 2021: Lisa Murkowski: (202) 224-6665
Mitt Romney: (202) 224-5251
Susan Collins: (202) 224-2523
Martha McSally: (202) 224-2235
Cory Gardner: (202) 224-5941
Although I knew that Justice Ginsburg’s health was precarious, I was not prepared to feel so saddened by her death. Last night, I was numb. This morning, reading your obituary, I have tears pouring down my face. Such a life. Such character. How much we owe her. How she went to battle for us. Personally, I owe her my marriage. I owe her an existential sense of hope and well being. I am 72 years old and I vow I will try my best to walk in her footsteps and not let her down. Thank you Justice Ruth B Ginsburg for the good you have done. May you rest in piece.
I have another thought on the best way to honor Justice Ginsburg.
On Aug. 18, 1920 the 19th Amendment was ratified after Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the Amendment. Passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote was the capstone of a long and difficult struggle that began in the mid-1800s. Achieving passage and ratification required decades of activism and protest commencing with the first public demand for women’s suffrage at the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. Even following the Amendment’s first introduction to Congress in 1878, several generations of women supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many considered a radical change to the US Constitution.
Alice Stokes Paul (January 11, 1885 – July 9, 1977) was an American suffragist and feminist who was one of the main leaders who fought for the 19th Amendment. In 1923, following its ratification, she continued the fight for full Constitutional recognition of equal rights for women with the drafting, proposal, and presentation to Congress of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). One hundred years after ratification of the 19th Amendment women are still waiting for formal ratification of the ERA.
In the early 1940s, both the Democratic Party and Republican Party added passage of the ERA to their party platforms. Yet it failed to pass Congress until its Congressional approval by first the Senate and then the House on March 22, 1972. Twenty-two states quickly ratified the Amendment leaving it short of the required 38 ratifying states needed. Eight ratifications followed in 1973, three in 1974, and one in 1975. In 1977, Indiana became the 35th state to ratify the ERA. As the original 1979 deadline for ratification approached the ERA remained three states short of the 38 required. Following an organized march on Washington by over 100,000 women, Congress passed a ratification extension to June 30, 1982, when it remained three states shy of ratification.
It has been reintroduced in every Congressional session since 1982. In March of 2017, Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the original ERA. Illinois followed in April 2018. On Jan. 27th, 2020 Virginia became the 38th state necessary to reach the required ratification threshold. Shortly thereafter on Feb. 13, 2020, the House passed HJ Res 79, the joint resolution to remove the original time limit assigned to the ERA. HJ Res 79 now awaits a vote in the US Senate.
Justice Ginsburg is a Women’s Rights icon. Her battles on behalf of the elimination of discriminatory laws on the basis of sex will be an important part of her legacy. Let’s honor that legacy by the Senate introducing and passing HJ 79 extending the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment and rename the Amendment the Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Equal Rights Amendment. I can think of no more fitting tribute to her legacy than this.
She was truly a brilliant advocate for gender equality.
I am struck that RBG was confirmed 93-6. Just 27 years ago Senators, regardless of party, recognized she was a brilliant jurist. No litmus tests.
When and how did the Supreme Court become so politicized?
For over two hundred and fifty days, Mitch McConnell stonewalled a president's nominee for SCOTUS. Tonight he did not wait two hours. Her tiny, frail body was not yet cold, yet he moved at warp speed to replace her. The hypocrisy is sickening. Shame, shame, shame! Thank you RBG, thank you HCR.
I cried when I heard of Justice Ginsburg's death. She was the light for all those seeking the promise of this country of equality and justice regardless of gender, sexual preference, skin pigmentation, and religion. This is the fight that we all must continues through our voices and our vote. Dr Richardson, thank you for this tribute.
I really wanted to only speak of Justice Ginsburg, but as usual, the senior senator from my state is stirring the pot as we say in Kentucky. I was appalled and ashamed that instead of speaking words of tribute to Justice Ginsburg, Mr. McConnell has to show he values party over country. I have sent an email to his office (his voice mail is always conveniently full) about my disgust over his apparent lack of respect to the memory of Justice Ginsburg and to her family in his response. (Please don't ask me why Kentuckians keep voting for him. I am weary of explaining that I have never voted for him. He is a consummate politician knowing what flaming arrows to shoot at his opponent and twisting the face to his advantage. ). I also reminded him of his words in 2016. However, the hearing on the Affordable Care Act explains his rush.
Rest in peace, Justice Ginsburg. Just know there are those who will continue your fight for justice and equality. Those who oppose those concepts will not win.
Thank you Heather. when i heard about RBG's death i immediately thought about you and what your newsletter would say. This is a beautiful tribute for an amazing woman. We can worry about the fallout in another post.
RBG was and will continue to be my hero. I have dreaded this day for a long time.
Be at peace, RBG. Your legacy will be a beacon for womankind and all who seek dignity, justice, and human rights.
“She rarely slept.” Like you! My older brother, Tom, turned me onto your letters. Upon this sad news tonight, many of us in my family were texting our panic at the prospect of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump’s machine replacing our stalwart for justice, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with a conservative judge. Tom, like you, focused on the gift of Justice Ginsburg’s life, her service to our nation and her incredible legacy.
She rarely slept. 🙏🏼
Justice Ginsburg's memorial should read "she made them take their foot of our necks" and that speaks not only for women! The battle now, in the time remaining to Trump/McConnell, is to stop them being able to step on our necks again...now and far into the future. "No holds barred" must be the battle cry in the fight to stop them confirming and inaugurating a new SCOTUS member before Jan 20th. It must be made clear that any attempt to place an inappopriate person in RBG's seat will be met by massive and popular resistance and thereafter, should it be necessary, by impeachment or nomination of a 10th and 11th judge...as there is no constituional limit to the number of judges...just a tradition which seemingly only the Democrats respect. We can't let them bias the Supreme Court for evermore and thus destroy our freedom!
Well done, HCR. Her work was my touchstone when I debated the ERA in the 70s. I am not a lawyer, and needed help articulating why the ERA was necessary. I stumbled into her work When visiting the law library during grad school. Her writing helped me see exactly why the 14th amendment did not protect women. Years later I was stunned to hear she’d been nominated for the Supreme Court, having no idea how important she had become. Thank you for summing up her career, and Sharing the immediate surge in tributes to help like-Minded candidates. Sad day for Americans.
Thank you for the history of Justice Ginsburg's journey. This is a wonderful memorial. May she rest in peace. May the rest of us get off of the couch, quit staring at our I-phones and
get to work fighting for the democracy.
And, now we get to work...
An amazing person from another group compiled a list of senator’s own words from 2016 to put on postcards and she has addresses. She has done the work. Please write to these senators!
Senator Mike Lee
361A Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: "We think that the American people need a chance to weigh in on this issue, on who will fill that seat. They’ll have that chance this November and they outghta have that chance." So, it's 2020, and the shoe still fits. Please don't be a hypocrite: do the right thing by delaying SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021.
Senator Lindsey Graham
290 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2018: "If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump's term, and the primary process has started, We'll wait to the next election." Those are your words, sir. Keep your word. SCOTUS nomination hearings should not start until 2021.
Senator Marco Rubio
284 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I don’t think we should be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term. I would say that if it were a Republican President.” It’s 2020 & the same circumstances, so SAY IT: We shouldn’t be moving forward on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term. Please prove you are a man of your word. Don’t be a hypocrite.
Senator Ron Johnson
328 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
In 2016, you wrote: “ In a very unique moment in time, eight months before an election where the American public will decide the direction of the country, why not let the American people decide the direction of the Supreme Court...Let the American people decide.” So, it's 2020 and the shoe still fits, only it 45 days until the election, not 8 months. Please do the right thing, and hold the SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021. Please, don't be a hypocrite.
Senator Cory Gardner
354 Russel Senate Office Bldg
Washington DC 20510
You in 2016: “Our next election is too soon and the stakes are too high; the American People deserve a role in this process as the next Supreme Court Justice will influence the direction of this country for years to come.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. The American people still deserve a role in the SCOTUS nomination process, unless you plan on being a hypocrite. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and trust you will do the right thing.
Senator John Barrasso
307 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “The American people will soon decide our next president. That person should get to choose the next supreme Court Nominee. Give the people a voice and let them chart the course for the court and the country.” So, it’s now 2020, and the shoe still fits. The people still deserve a voice to chart the course for the court and country. Please don’t be a hypocrite: SCOTUS nominations must wait until 2021.
Senator Pat Toomey
248 Russel Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “With the presidential election fewer than 8 months away, it is wise to give the American people a more direct voice in the selection and confirmation of the next justice.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Do the right thing and let the American people use their voice; don’t be a hypocrite.
Senator John Thune
US Senate SD-511
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “Since the next presidential election is already underway, the next president should make this lifetime appointment to the supreme court.” Guess what? It’s 2020, and the shoe still fits.
Senator Chuck Grassley
135 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “A lifetime appointment that could dramatically impact individual freedoms and change the direction of the court for at least a generation is too important to get bogged down in politics. The American people shouldn’t be denied a voice.” Guess what? It’s 2020, it’s still important and the American people still shouldn’t be denied a voice. Please don’t be a hypocrite & do the right thing.
Senator John Cornyn
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “This is really about an important principle. It’s important to allow the voters, in choosing the next president of the United States, make that decision and make sure their voice is heard rather than just 100 members of the Senate.” So, it’s 2020, and the principles have not changed. Let the voters be heard. Please don’t be a hypocrite; do the right thing.
Senator Tom Cotton
124 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “In a few short months, we will have a new president and new senators who can consider the next justice with the full faith of the people…Why would we squelch the voice of the populace? Why would we deny the voters a chance to weight in?” So, it’s 2020. It’s 45 days until the presidential election, (days, not months). Don’t squelch our voices. Wait until after the election to confirm a new SCOTUS Justice.
Senator Steve Daines
320 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: The Senate should exercise its Constitutional powers by NOT confirming a new #SCOTUS Justice until Americans have their voices heard.” Well, it’s 2020, and Americans still need to have their voices heard. Don’t be a hypocrite: Do the right thing- No confirmation hearings until 2021.
Senator Rob Portman
448 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I believe the American people should have a voice in this debate. This is a lifetime appointment that could reshape the Supreme Court for generations, and I believe the best thing for the country is to trust the American people to weigh in.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits- which means the best thing for the country is to let us weigh in! Don’t be a hypocrite: Do the right thing- No confirmation hearings until 2021.
Senator David Perdue
320 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “I believe the decision to not hold hearing for a supreme court nominee this year is a wise course of action in the midst of a presidential election.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Be wise: you SHOULD NOT hold hearing for a SCOTUS nominee in the midst of this presidential election.
Senator Ted Cruz
404 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “It has been 80 years since a Supreme Court vacancy was nominated and confirmed in an election year. There is a long tradition that you don’t do this in an election year.” So, it’s 2020, and we don’t want to break from tradition. Don’t be a hypocrite: Let the people have a voice!
Senator Mitch McConnell
317 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
You in 2016: “There hasn’t been a vacancy created in a presidential election year filled in 80 years… so this vacancy will not be filled this year. We will look forward to the American people deciding who they want to make this appointment through their own votes.” So, it’s 2020, and the shoe still fits. Unless you’re a hypocrite, you must let the American people decide, just like they did in 2016.
Don’t even think about replacing the Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just 45 days until our next presidential election. During the Merrick Garland Nomination you claimed there wasn’t sufficient time to vote, and that was eleven months prior to the election. You must remember it, after all, it was named, “The McConnell Rule.” Follow your own rules and hold the SCOTUS nomination hearings until 2021.
I also wrote a thank you to Senator Murkowki, because she already took a stand and said she would not support filling the vacancy before 2021. Senator Murkowki, 552 Hart Senate Office Bldg, Washington DC. 20510
It's truly heartbreaking that we can't simply celebrate her life and mourn her passing.
A 4th grader last year dressed as RBG for storybook character parade. I approached her and said I love it! The notorious RBG! Her face lit up! You know who I am! She wants to be a lawyer like her mom and become a Supreme Court justice and help people. I have no doubt that little girl has a very different life because of RBG! And will do great things!
My brothers went to my lawyer and tried to have me taken off of my parents estate as the executrix. My lawyer suggested they get their own representation. I had no idea! Thanks RBG! The ways Her Honor touched my life and every American are immeasurable!
Thank you Heather for this! I’ve been devastated. What will happen to us now?