Dear John,

I shouldn’t have to write this.

Right now, we should all be taking a moment to grieve, to truly honor the life and accomplishments of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was an icon, a trailblazer for women, and a true champion of gender justice, voting rights, abortion access, and so many of the issues we hold dear.

Instead, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear he expects to push through a Trump nominee to the Supreme Court immediately—we’re hearing that Trump could name his pick any day, even though thousands have already begun casting ballots across the country.

The fundamental rights of millions of people hang in the balance right now—and so does the incredible legacy of Justice Ginsburg. Whoever wins the next election should get to nominate the next Supreme Court Justice. Your senators need to hear from you, John. Tell them not to vote on any Supreme Court Justice nominee before the inauguration.

Trump has promised to nominate only justices who would overturn Roe v. Wade and dismantle the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He’s already made good on that promise by putting Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the court—and his recent shortlist for a third includes extremists like Judge Amy Coney Barrett and even Senators Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz.

We must take Trump at his word—and every senator should too. Tell them not to hold hearings or vote on any Trump Supreme Court nominee before the January inauguration.

Justice Ginsburg’s “most fervent wish” was that there be no vote on a nominee to replace her before inauguration day because she recognized the importance of respecting the will of the people. We can help fulfill that wish and protect the legacy she fought so hard to leave us. Now is not the time to be silent. While we mourn, we must act. Please, send your senators a message right now.

Together, we will fight for the future Ruth Bader Ginsburg helped make possible.

Onward,
Fatima Goss Graves
(she/her/hers)
President & CEO
National Women's Law Center