Washington, D.C. — Across the nation, constituents have been demanding that their elected leaders stand up to President Donald Trump’s anti-worker, anti-middle class, and anti-woman agenda. This week, constituents in 11 states engaged in multiple actions expressing their serious concerns about Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch. Gorsuch has a record of bending the law to rule in favor of big business and powerful interests, and the actions centered around the many ways Gorsuch’s rulings could harm the country. With days left until his hearing, Judge Gorsuch’s failure to adequately answer questions about his rulings have led to intense scrutiny from senators and outside groups. Gorsuch is also facing questions from senators about his work for the George W. Bush administration’s Department of Justice, which argued that the president had nearly unlimited authority over national security.
In Iowa, Nevada, Colorado, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and many other states, citizens engaged with their elected leaders in town halls, rallies, press conferences, and meetings to oppose Gorsuch’s nomination. These are just a few examples of the actions that constituents participated in over the course of the week:
- On March 12, activists exposed the fact that Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) stated in a closed door meeting that he supports Judge Gorsuch despite public statements that he would wait until the hearing to make up his mind.
- On March 16, community leaders in Nevada held a press conference to call on Sens. Heller and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) to speak out against Judge Gorsuch.
- On March 16 and 17, constituents flooded Colorado town halls demanding answers from Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) about his stance on Gorsuch and followed up with post cards urging him to oppose Gorsuch’s nomination.
- On March 17, dozens of Wisconsin activists dressed in green at the courthouse to protest the nomination of Gorsuch, highlighting how his rulings could undermine crucial environmental protections.
For more information or to be connected with a Why Courts Matter partner in your state, please contact Terrence Clark at tclark.af@americanprogressaction or 202.741.6251.