Friends -

Republicans just rammed through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett for a lifetime appointment to the nation’s highest court.

A mere eight days before an election.

This is an astounding and disgraceful violation of their own rule. This is an unprecedented moment of right-wing senators breaking their own promises — all in a quest to strike down the Affordable Care Act, overturn Roe v. Wade, and push a radical far-right agenda.

The only path toward justice now is for Democrats to win back power and expand the Supreme Court to undo this rigged system.

If you agree, please add your name to my petition demanding Democrats make expanding the Supreme Court a priority if we take back the Senate and White House. There will be no progress on our ideas if we do not first unrig the courts.

We must not forget that, while McConnell and his cronies could not be bothered to act on coronavirus relief to support American families, they found time to rush this nomination to the floor. And they did it while many of my Republican colleagues put the health of other Senators and Capitol Hill staff at risk — after refusing to quarantine during the White House superspreader event with Amy Coney Barrett.

Everything about this process has been craven and corrupt.

And we cannot forget that they did this all to push through one of the most extreme justices this nation will have ever seen.

Amy Coney Barrett likes to call herself an originalist. So let us be clear on what that really means:

Originalism is racist. Originalism is sexist. Originalism is homophobic. Originalism is just a fancy word for discrimination.

It is a judicial philosophy that serves to accomplish from the bench what has never, and could never, be achieved through the ballot box. It seeks a complete rollback of individual rights through an unelected body with no democratic legitimacy.

The process and nomination are illegitimate. Allowing the Supreme Court to proceed with rulings unchecked will render it illegitimate as well. The only recourse now is for Democrats to end the filibuster and expand the court. There can be no justice without that.

Add your name: Demand that Democrats end the filibuster and expand the Supreme Court when we win back the Senate and White House. The consequences of letting this corrupt power grab go unchecked are far too great.

You cannot spell shameful without sham. That’s what this was. Now we must seek justice.

- Ed Markey