This is a long one, friend, but it’s because so much has happened, and so much is at stake.
It's crucial that we understand the implications of the Supreme Court’s recent decision declaring presidential immunity.
When the framers wrote our Constitution nearly 250 years ago, they created checks and balances to ensure one of our three branches of government could not hold too much power. They included impeachment to ensure any member of government could be held accountable for criminal actions. They did not design, as Justice Roberts wrote in his opinion last week, “a vigorous and energetic executive” with “absolute immunity from acts within the outer perimeter of his official responsibility.”
The dangers of the concentrated power the Supreme Court has now given the president cannot be overstated. For the first time in our country’s history, a man is above the law.
This means a president cannot be held accountable for attempting to overturn an election, and a president cannot be held accountable for inciting a riot that violently attacked our Capitol—and that’s just the beginning.
How in the world did we get here?
We got here because a network of mega-billionaire conservatives has been working behind the scenes for decades to fill our courts with judges who share their minority opinions about abortion, gun control, and democracy. They’ve worked with people like Speaker McConnell and former President Trump to control and manipulate the nomination process and prevent the appointment of justices who truly reflect the values of the American people.
The Supreme Court does not reflect the 70% of Americans who believe abortion should be legal in most or all cases. They do not reflect the 81% of Americans who support banning bump stocks for guns. And they do not reflect the 62% of Americans who oppose granting former presidents immunity.
We need a Court that reflects the values of voters and interprets and enforces our Constitution in a way that strengthens, not threatens, our democracy.
The only way forward is for Congress to hold our Supreme Court accountable and take action. We must thoroughly investigate the bribery that is influencing justices like Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. We must create mechanisms that ensure justices recuse themselves from cases with clear bias. And we must push to expand the Court to take back the supermajority from the ultra-conservatives who are dismantling the foundation of our democracy one step at a time. Right now, House Republican leadership means our Congress is at a standstill and cannot push for these needed reforms. But in November, you can help us change that by supporting our efforts to take back the House, starting with five competitive seats right here in New York.
