WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amy Coney Barrett says when it comes to interpreting the Constitution, she’s an “originalist” in the mold of her mentor, Antonin Scalia. This means that she interprets the Constitution exactly how the authors wrote it. However, the white male authors of the Constitution (many of whom were also slave owners) left out women, people of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQIA+ people. According to this interpretation, none of these groups are considered people deserving of equal rights.
And that’s exactly how Justice Amy Coney Barrett will treat these groups. She has been groomed to overturn many of the important equality gains of the last 60 years, starting with a challenge to the Affordable Care Act that will come before the Court a week after Election Day. She has been outspoken in her opposition to abortion care, affordable birth control, LGBTQIA+ rights, and environmental protections, and she told the Senate she thought the science of climate change is still “in dispute.”
NOW knows that even if Amy Coney Barrett and a conservative-leaning SCOTUS are not willing to defend our right to equality, that our voices still matter and we will not stop until we are heard. We’re reminded of how crucial a progressive, feminist majority in the Senate is to the future of the Supreme Court, and the women’s rights agenda. NOW members are even more energized than ever to turn out the largest feminist voting force in history to defeat Donald Trump, elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and flip the Senate. We know what’s at stake—everything.
Contact: Press Team, press@now.org,