THE SUPREME COURT NEEDS MORE THAN JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON
Her appointment is a good first step, but Congress must intervene to prevent the Court’s ultraconservative supermajority from constraining both the executive and legislative branches and destroying our democracy in the process.
QUICK READ: The elevation of Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s 6-3 ultraconservative majority’s rush to return America to the 1950’s when white Christians were in the majority and the government worked only for them. Americans have lost confidence in the Court’s impartiality as we watch the majority rush to overturn settled law it dislikes just because it can, misread the Constitution to prevent executive and legislative behavior it dislikes, misuse the shadow docket, and flaunt its ethical obligations. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent the Court from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy.
TAKE ACTION NOW:
BACKGROUND
Americans today have lost faith in SCOTUS’ independence and legitimacy, viewing it as highly politicized.
We’re horrified by
· SCOTUS’ ultraconservative majority trying to return America to the 1950s by misusing the shadow docket and discarding precedents to negate settled law protecting majority interests and by willfully ignoring the racially disparate impact of voter suppression laws and pretending that people of color have equal access to the ballot box
· The disgraceful, racist attacks Judge Jackson endured during her confirmation hearings
· Justice Thomas’ refusal to recuse himself from election and January 6 cases in which his wife’s implicated
· Such blatant misuse of SCOTUS’ shadow docket that even the Chief Justice dissented.
By the end of this term, SCOTUS will likely have eliminated abortion rights, expanded gun rights, bolstered the death penalty, required taxpayers to fund religious schools, outlawed affirmative action, crippled the administrative state, upheld partisan redistricting, and further eroded voting rights. Unless Congress intervenes, this erosion if our civil rights will continue for decades.
This supermajority is also greatly enhancing SCOTUS’ power at the expense of Congress and the Executive.
Neutralizing prior GOP court-packing by adding 4 new justices is the only effective way to counteract these attacks
Congress must tackle these problems before it’s too late.
ACTION One: Call the Senate.
Script for Oregon Senators
SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753
My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. Thank you for co-sponsoring the Supreme Court Ethics Act (S.2512), which is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (S.1141) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
SEN. WYDEN:
Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. Thank you for co-sponsoring the Supreme Court Ethics Act (S.2512), which is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (S.1141) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
Script for Republican Senators
D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].
I demand that you speak out against the racist, sexist attacks on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson that occurred during her confirmation hearing. I also expect you to push for Justice Thomas’ investigation for serious conflict of interest, to demand he recuse himself from all future 2020 election and January 6 cases, and to support the Supreme Court Ethics Act (S.2512 in the Senate and H.R 5720 in the House).
ACTION TWO: Call the House.
Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. The Supreme Court Ethics Act (H.R. 5720) is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (H.R. 2584) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
Script for Cliff Bentz (OR-02)
Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
I demand that you speak out against the racist, sexist attacks on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson that occurred during her confirmation hearing. I also expect you to push for Justice Thomas’ investigation for serious conflict of interest, to demand he recuse himself from all future 2020 election and January 6 cases, and to support the Supreme Court Ethics Act (S.2512 in the Senate and H.R 5720 in the House).
Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. The Supreme Court Ethics Act (H.R. 5720) is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (H.R. 2584) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)
Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. The Supreme Court Ethics Act (H.R. 5720) is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (H.R. 2584) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711
My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].
The elevation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court is a cause for celebration, but it will not change the Court’s rush to return America to the 1950’s. Congressional investigation and intervention are necessary to prevent SCOTUS from running roughshod over our freedoms and destroying our democracy. The Supreme Court Ethics Act (H.R. 5720) is a good first step, but only the Judiciary Act of 2021 (H.R. 2584) will have any meaningful impact on this out-of-control Court.
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ACTION 3: GOOD TROUBLE
GOOD TROUBLE: Below are opportunities to fight for our democracy. As John Lewis said, go make some “good trouble.”
Find out more about Indivisible Oregon here.
TUESDAY 11:30am-12:30pm LETTER WRITING PARTY - INDIVISIBLE OREGON:
https://www.mobilize.us/swingleft/event/442887/Fridays at 4 - Letter and Postcard Writing — Indivisible Oregon.
Learn about persuasive language and communication research at the Zoom ASO Movement Briefings every second Wednesday.
Join the campaign to hold the House and Senate at GiveNoGround.org
Work to protect democracy in the House by replacing retiring US Representative Peter DeFazio with another Democrat, replacing Democrat Kurt Schrader, the “Manchin of the House,” with a progressive, and electing a Democrat in Oregon’s new Congressional District 6.
Demand that your primary news source stop creating false equivalencies and just report the truth.
Check out the Poor People's Campaign Readies 'Massive, Nonviolent' Effort to Save Democracy
Outside of Portland? Check out COIN Oregon.
Rally inconsisent Democratic voters to vote in 2022 with Progressive Turnout Project | Feb, 2022 | Medium
FURTHER READING:
Supreme Court pivots to abortion, guns, and death penalty as public approval slides
Opinion: KBJ’s confirmation fight shows how the Supreme Court must change
Politicians Say the Supreme Court Confirmation Process Is Broken. Here’s Why
The Supreme Court Is Even More Conservative Than You Think
The Supreme Court’s Abuses of the Shadow Docket Must Be Stopped
How to rein in partisan Supreme Court justices
Thomas controversy fuels efforts to reform Supreme Court rules
Trump’s judges will call the shots for years to come. The judicial system is broken
The radical right’s takeover of the Supreme Court is complete
The Supreme Court’s Total War on Congress
Supreme Court pivots to abortion, guns, and death penalty as public approval slides
Supreme Court Conservatives Plot A Liberal Apocalypse in 2022
US deserves a 21st Century Supreme Court
I Spent 7 Months Studying Supreme Court Reform. We Need to Pack the Court Now