John,
This week, we witnessed history.
On Thursday, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the 166th Justice to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and the first ever Black woman.
Her strong record on the federal bench and experience as a public defender position her to be a crucial voice for working people in an increasingly right-wing and reactionary Supreme Court. When Justice Jackson takes her seat, she will bring a perspective to the Court that has never been more necessary — or more urgent.
Over the next few weeks, the Supreme Court is expected to issue opinions in a number of cases that will have an immediate and broad impact on the lives of working people across the United States.
From reproductive rights, to gun violence, to climate change and more, the current right-wing majority on the Court is poised to throw away decades of precedent in the pursuit of their own political and ideological aims.
That majority is also increasingly exerting their power through the so-called “shadow docket,” which they have been using to issue rulings that impact the lives of millions in the dark of night, without argument, and often without any explanation whatsoever.
And a member of that majority stands accused of corruptly attempting to cover up his spouse’s active involvement in the coup attempt on January 6th, 2021 — while all Republicans and even some Democrats refuse to call for his impeachment.
Despite the historic confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the legitimacy of the Supreme Court as an institution still very much hangs in the balance.
Republicans and the ideologues they have installed throughout the federal judiciary have shown that they have no intention of trying to win popular support for their policies in fair elections. Instead, they intend to use the courts and every lever of power they have to suppress the vote, block progressive legislation, and allow our rights to be stripped away.
For decades, Republicans have worked to build the Supreme Court majority necessary to do all this precisely by flouting the will of the people again and again.
A Republican has won the popular vote only once in the last eight presidential elections, Republicans brazenly stole a Supreme Court seat in 2016 by denying President Obama a vote on his nomination. And then they rammed another nominee through just days before the 2020 election.
The current Supreme Court is not by the people or for the people. It exists in spite of them and works against them.
To preserve our most cherished rights, we MUST reform the federal bench — and that includes expanding the number of justices sitting on the Supreme Court. The Working Families Party and our allies will continue working to build a majority in Congress that can make this a reality. Add your name here to join us.
Add your name, John »
This week, we celebrate a proud and historic moment. Tomorrow, and every day after, we must continue the work of defending our democracy and building a more perfect union where we can all be free.
In solidarity,
All of us at the Working Families Party
