Friend --

Last night, President Trump announced his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Just nine days since Justice Ginsburg passed and just 37 days until Election Day (far less for millions of Americans who have already cast or will cast their votes before Nove‌mber 3).

Justice Ginsburg has not yet been buried. Our country is mourning her loss, along with the loss of more than 200,000 Americans from COVID-19 and too many Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Americans are suffering and struggling.

Healing the nation should be our priority. Instead, the president is tearing us further asunder with a sham process to push through a new justice to the highest court in the land.

I'm the longest-serving senator on the Judiciary Committee. No president of either party has ever tried so hard to destroy the independence of the Supreme Court and make it a political arm of the White House.

Just like President Trump promised his judicial nominees would be, Amy Coney Barrett has already made clear that she opposes upholding the Affordable Care Act and would have ruled to eliminate health care coverage for millions of Americans. How ironic that President Trump and Senator McConnell want to rush through such a nominee as the coronavirus pandemic rages on.

Judge Barrett is widely known to be a strict originalist whose record on the court of appeals makes it clear that, if confirmed, she would be one of the most -- if not the most -- conservative justice on the court. She would cement a far-right majority on the court that is almost certain to issue rulings in the future that would roll back well-established law on women's rights, civil rights, labor rights, and environmental protections.

I have grave concerns about the nominee -- and the process. Our institutions are only as strong as our words. During a time when half of our highest legislative chamber refuses to keep their words, we're heading toward a dark, dark place.

It'd be easy to shrug and give up on the institutions I've given my life to: the Judiciary Committee, the Senate, democracy itself. But this is too important. I will continue to voice my strongest objections to this nominee and to this process. I will do everything I can to heed to the American people and to Justice Ginsburg's dying wish.

Are you with me, friend? If you also stand against this rushed process and against the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, then please sign your name here today to tell Mitch McConnell to halt this rushed process until after the election.

A sincere thank you,

Patrick Leahy
U.S. Senator