Before Judge Amy Coney Barrett was sworn in to become the ninth justice of the Supreme Court, members of the House progressive “Squad” group immediately expressed outraged to the news late Monday evening, with all four saying it is time to “expand the court.”
“Expand the court,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said in a tweet minutes after the Senate voted to confirm Barrett’s nomination.
In a follow-up tweet, Ocasio-Cortez claimed without explanation that court-packing is a “legal process.”
“Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “And for a long time, they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.”
Republicans do this because they don’t believe Dems have the stones to play hardball like they do. And for a long time they’ve been correct. But do not let them bully the public into thinking their bulldozing is normal but a response isn’t. There is a legal process for expansion.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 27, 2020
“Expand the court,” Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) echoed Ocasio-Cortez’s sentiment in a tweet, quote tweeting her progressive member original tweet.
In a follow-up tweet, Omar said, “Remember that Republicans have lost 6 of the last 7 popular votes, but have appointed 6 of the last 9 justices. By expanding the court we fix this broken system and have the court better represent the values of the American people.”
Remember that Republicans have lost 6 of the last 7 popular votes, but have appointed 6 of the last 9 justices.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 27, 2020
By expanding the court we fix this broken system and have the court better represent the values of the American people.
“We are going to take back the White House and Senate next week with a resounding mandate from the people to fight back against Trump’s illegitimately stacked judiciary,” Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), tweeted after Barrett’s confirmation. “We must expand the Court if we’re serious about the transformational change the people are crying out for.”
We are going to take back the White House & Senate next week with a resounding mandate from the people to fight back against Trump’s illegitimately stacked judiciary. We must expand the Court if we’re serious about the transformational change the people are crying out for.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) October 27, 2020
The fourth “Squad” member, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) tweeted a selfie picture of herself with the caption, “We reject this injustice. We will fight for our rights. We will legislate our values.”
We reject this injustice.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) October 27, 2020
We will fight for our rights.
We will legislate our values. pic.twitter.com/lB55BCTvPa
On Sunday, Pressley called Barrett “dangerous” without citing any reason in her tweet, adding that any Senator who is on the side of the American people “would vote against” her confirmation.
Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) called the vote from her fellow Republican colleagues “despicable,” tweeting that both Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and his party “must be held accountable.”
“Instead of working to provide COVID-19 relief to struggling Americans, Mitch McConnell and Republicans chose to jam through a Supreme Court nominee—when more than 62 million people have already voted. It’s despicable and they must be held accountable,” Harris tweeted prior to the Senate vote.
In a tweet after the Senate vote, Harris vowed that Democrats “won’t forget” this power grab move from the Republicans.
“Today Republicans denied the will of the American people by confirming a Supreme Court justice through an illegitimate process—all in their effort to gut the Affordable Care Act and strip health care from millions with pre-existing conditions,” Harris tweeted. “We won’t forget this.”
Today Republicans denied the will of the American people by confirming a Supreme Court justice through an illegitimate process—all in their effort to gut the Affordable Care Act and strip health care from millions with pre-existing conditions.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 27, 2020
We won’t forget this.
The Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Barrett to the Supreme Court, a month after President Trump announced her nomination. Following the Senate’s confirmation vote, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas administered the Constitutional oath to Barrett during a White House ceremony.
2020Amy Coney BarrettCongressCourt PackingJustice Clarence ThomasRep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezRep. Ayanna PressleyRep. Ilhan OmarRep. Rashida TlaibSen. Kamala HarrisSenateSenate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellSenate RepublicansSquad MembersSupreme CourtWhite House
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