Written by; Glenda H, Workers' Rights Committee - Women's March MN

The pressure for and against quickly confirming Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the vacant U.S. Supreme Court is ramping up in the U.S. Senate. Now is the time for citizens to contact senators, supporting careful consideration rather than haste on this nomination.

Advocates for workers’ rights and other social justice causes are opposing Kavanaugh, as his extensive record as a jurist is clearly pro-business and against progressive values. He also has a background in political work and on the White House staff of President George W. Bush.

“Judge Kavanaugh has a dangerous track record of protecting the privileges of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of working people. Any Supreme Court nominee must be fair, independent and committed to protecting the rights, freedoms and legal safeguards of all Americans. Judge Kavanaugh does not meet this standard and must not be confirmed,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said at the time of Kavanaugh’s nomination.

Timing is potentially crucial.  

The Senate consideration is playing out just months before the November election. With a narrow majority, Republican leadership aims for confirming Kavanaugh before control of the chamber could flip to Democrats. The Republicans’ original goal was to seat Kavanaugh by Oct. 1, when the Supreme Court begins its next session. But as a tactic to counter Democrats who want time to examine Kavanaugh’s long public record, Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is threatening to delay hearings                                                                                                                                                    on Kavanaugh until just before the election.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee is arguing that citizens and the Senate need a traditional kind of review for a high court nominee. The Judiciary Committee is central to advancing judicial nominees. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is a member of the minority party on the committee.

In addition to workers’ rights concerns with Kavanaugh’s record as a judge, that record is raising alarms among environmental, reproductive rights and an array of regulatory issues.

Organizations on both sides of the Kavanaugh nomination are pouring resources into campaigns to influence this pivotal nomination of another young, conservative jurist to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. Experts do not see a great difference between Kennedy and Kavanaugh on workers’ issues. Both have sided consistently on the side of business and against regulation. But on other key issue, notably LBGT and abortion rights, Kavanaugh has the potential to vote with the current majority that seems inclined to overturn settled law.
 

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