‘It’s up to all of us:’ liberal groups vow to continue Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy; Trump expected to nominate Amy Coney Barrett for top court
On Friday, as mourners paid respects to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Washington, liberal activists met in Hartford to discuss ways to preserve her legacy.
“There’s so much work that remains,'' said Amanda Skinner, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. “What is at stake is the ability of all people in this country to live lives of their own choosing, to love who they love, to feel safe in their communities, to be able to have their voice represented, to be able to vote...and to be able to have access to healthcare [and] a meaningful right to control their own reprodiuctive lives.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, convened Friday’s the gathering at the Hartford Public Library. Blumenthal has been pressing for a delay in replacing Ginsburg. He said the Senate should wait until after Inauguration Day, 2021 to confirm a new justice.
President Trump is expected to name to nominate Amy Coney Barrett, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, for fill the court vacancy Saturday. If she is confirmed, it will solidify a solid conservative majority on the court for years to come.
Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and other Democrats are looking to block Trump, although their power is limited because they are in the minority.
Traditionally, a president’s Supreme Court nominee meets with key senators prior to the confirmation hearing. But Blumenthal declared that he will not meet with Trump’s pick.
"I’m not going to legitimize this process by meeting with the nominee,'' Blumenthal said. “I will participate in the hearing, that’s part of my job to expose the views and the opinions of the nominee, but I am not going to add legitimnacy to a process that’s been essentially robbed of legitimacy by my Republican colleagues who want to rush [this] before the election.”
Several of the progressive activists who joined Blumenthal at the press conference focused on access to legal abortion.
Liz Gustafson, state director for NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut, said Ginsburg’s death has galvanized the group’s supporters. "We are committed to defending all that Justice Ginsburg stood for,'' she said. “We face an unprecedented threat to Roe v. Wade so we’ve been mobilizing...and we are not stopping our fight.”
Giovanna Shay, litigation and advocacy director for Greater Hartford Legal Aid, said Ginsburg was a strong voice against gender discrimination and racial inequities.
“Her primary role as an advocate was to advocate for women,'' Shay said, ”We see all too often that women and their children and their families are living in poverty, are facing housing and food insecurity and dealing with health inequities...it is up to all of us who are left behind to fullfull Justice Ginsburg’s vision of equality for all."
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