Transcripts For CSPAN Democrats Renew Efforts To Expand The Supreme Court 20220719

I think were going to go ahead and get started. Thank you, everyone, for coming. Hello. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you so much, congressman johnson, congressman jones, congresswoman watson coleman, congressman takano, everybody here with us today, thank you for your leadership. Im sara lipton, executive director of take back the court action fund, and ive spent my entire career fighting for access to abortion and Reproductive Health care. Its that fight that brought me to take back the court last year when it became all too clear that the Supreme Courts illegitimate rightwing majority was coming for our bodies, for our futures, for our autonomy, and for our lives. This term the court turned some of our worst fears into a terrifying new reality. It threw out half a century of precedent to strip away a right to abortion, the fundamental human right to control our own bodies. The decision to overturn roe is going to cause countless people and families to suffer, most especially communities already bearing the brunt of disparities caused by our broken health, economic and political systems. Its home been three weeks and already were seeing the devastating effects and heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story all across the country. Make no mistake, these are the outcomes the court wanted. And this is just the beginning. Justice kavanaugh goaded his allies in congress to pass the abortion ban. Meanwhile Justice Thomas made clear that he wants the right to birth control, the right to Marriage Equality slashed and burned next. Lets be clear. All of this is part of the radical right wing justices broader crusade. A crusade against women, against people of color and the Lgbtq Community, against clean air and water and safe schools and workers rights, against voting and democracy, against america itself. We have to stop pretending that the Supreme Court is an entity outside of politics. It operates on law and reason alone when it is so clearly not. The court has instead become an arm of a conservative movement that wants to take us back to the dark ages and imposing an extreme rightwing agenda on all of us without our consent. And it all comes down to power. Republicans lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight elections. But despite being roundly rejected by the american public, they stole power back in the form of unelected right wing justices. And now those justices are doing everything they can to ensure the power remains in their hands rather than the peoples. They fancy themselves some sort of allpowerful oligarchy setting the rules for our lives, our communities and our futures, all without our say. Weeks after schoolchildren were massacred in texas, they took away protections against gun violence. During the hottest summer on record they made it harder for the e. P. A. To combat Climate Change. And in a year when state houses across the country pushed hateful antitranslegislation, the court eviscerated the boundary between church and state, opening the door to discrimination and violence. This is a democracy and in democracy, the power should rest with the people. And if we want to take back our power, we have to take back the court. Our path forward is clear. We must expand the Supreme Court. We must pass the judiciary act. Thats what it will take to truly protect Abortion Access and all our fundamental rights and to preserve our democracy. Our amazing elected leaders here today understand that and now its time for every other member of congress who claims to be a or the courts attacks on our rights and freedoms to follow their lead abhor the courts attacks on our rights and freedoms to follow their lead. To those who are taking on this fight, i say thank you. To everyone else i have to ask, what more are you waiting for . Truly, what more . What more harms needs to happen before you act . I now have the great pleasure of introducing a true champion for court reform, a leader who knows now is the time to act and just how important this fight is, congressman hank johnson. Thank you so much. [applause] senator johnson thank you. Good afternoon mr. Johnson thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. Im congressman hank johnson. Im the proud sponsor along with my colleague, Mondaire Jones, and also chairman jerry nadler, im the proud sponsor of the judiciary act of 2021. Which was filed last year, which would expand the United States Supreme Court and add more seats to it. Im happy to be here today with take back the court and all of my other colleagues from congress who will speak to you in a few minutes. Id like to thank everyone and all the groups for your service to our country and your dedication to democracy. And thank you all to the groups who are not here, who are supportive of this legislation. Without your engagement and advocacy, we would not even have a democracy. So i want to applaud you for your efforts. As great patriots of america. Ladies and gentlemen, in case you havent heard, the alarm bells clanging because youve been distracted by covid, the pandemic, inflation, the war in ukraine and on and on and on, the issues go. Including january 6, the insurrection. There are alarm bells that are clanging. If you listen carefully, you should be able to hear them. They herald a Supreme Court that is at crisis with itself and with our democracy. It is a Supreme Court where basic freedoms are under assault. Our Supreme Court, just in its first term together, its an ultrarightwing republican United States Supreme Court, in its first term together it has reaped unfamiliar ogtable unfathomable negative change to america. Taking us backwards. They have a 63 supermajority on the court. Led by none other than Justice Clarence thomas, a 74yearold spry individual whos getting to the point where he wants to wreak his havoc on americans. Hes not leaving any time soon, yall. Hes going to be there for at least 10, 15 years. The head of the United States Supreme Court, none other than samuel alito, a spry 72yearold. You can see the gleam in his eye as he thinks about what he wants to do to decimate the rights of people and put us back into dark ages. Hes going to be there for a while. 72 years old. And then we have gorsuch, we have comey barrett, we have kavanaugh. Ladies and gentlemen, they are in their early 50s. Theyre going to be there for a while. This 63 majority, joined by the chief justice, roberts, who is a young man also. Only 67. You can see that were in trouble on the United States Supreme Court for the next generation. And with a session that we just came out of, their first session together, with the decimation of the rights to people that they have inflicted upon us. We dont have a generation to wait to reform the court. Now, we can always vote out and vote in new United States senators. We can do the same, United States house members. We can change governors with our vote. State legislators. And state legislatures can flip. We can do that with our vote. But our vote doesnt come in to play when it comes to the United States Supreme Court. It is removed from accountability to the people. It has become its own legislative branch. It has become its own executive branch. Its making decisions that usurp the power of the legislative and executive branches. It has taken away a womans right to reproductive freedom, with one fell swoop. We saw it coming, we knew it was happening, but we didnt want to believe it until it actually happened. Since its happened, it has devastating effects on the lives of millions of people who have been deprivinged of their reproductive freedom. This court also took away the ability of the Environmental Protection agency to protect the American People from the harmful effects of Greenhouse Gases and it put itself into a position to overrule every other agency of government whenever it sees fit to do so. Their rules wag sweeping was sweeping in. Process they also tyke away our safety, our Public Safety by allowing guns everywhere. And concealed guns everywhere. Making our country less safe and taking away the states ability to regulate. They also did a job on freedom of religion and theyre getting ready to do a job on the right to vote, another job on the right to vote by accepting that North Carolina case where its threatened to disrupt the delicate balance of power, of checks and balances in state government, in so far as Voting Rights are concerned. So were on the menu. The rights of the people are on the menu. And these justices will be here for a long time. We cant vote them out. And so what do we have to do . We must expand the court and thats what this activity today is all about. Garnering support for that effort. Im proud to say that in addition to those that are standing with us today, we have a total of almost 60 members of the house who are supportive of this effort and have signed on to the legislation and well continue to work hard until we can get this passed in the house of representatives. Meanwhile, senator markey in the United States senate has introduced this legislation. Its on the move there as well. With your support and your actions and your activism, we will rectify this threat to our liberties that exist with this current United States Supreme Court. And with that, ladies and gentlemen, im proud to yield the microphone to the gentlewoman from new jersey, representative Bonney Watson coleman, a distinguished member of the powerful House Appropriations committee. [applause] mrs. Watson coleman good afternoon on this very, very, very hot day. But we are here, fully clothed. And suffering under this sun. We recognize the significance of this moment. I want to thank representative hank johnson for inviting me, but also for sort of being the catalyst for this endeavor. Thinking very forwardly and putting us in place to hopefully be able to do something amazing and important that we have to do. You know, you heard this, youre going to hear it again and again because one thing were learning from the other side is that while they continue to repeat the same evilness, were going to repeat the warnings and the solutions. So, forgive us if we sound redundant. But this is that moment. A month ago five reactionaries, reactionaries and rogues, in robes, decided that we dont have a constitutional right to an abortion. And in so doing they showed us that theyre willing to eliminate our freedoms to make a decision about our own bodies. And the Womens Health decision opposes the will of five unelected religious extremists upon nearly 330 Million People. I want to share a little story with you, because when we think of this whole issue of abortion, we have a tendency to think of the young child that gets raped, praise god that he will protect her and her help to overcome her trauma. A young woman going through her reproductive years. But i had a conversation with someone i worked with very closely for the last seven years who told me that at the age of 62 she was still having a period and was still sexually active. With grandchildren. And she said, what if i got pregnant . Theres no way at 62 i would have been in a position to really be a healthy mommy to a new baby. And so not only is this impacting the decisions of young women and the protection of young girls and others who have been assaulted and raped, but it also impacts the division fully decision of fully adult women who have this story to tell. You know, but what they did with roe v. Wade, it only scratches the surface. Of all the damage that this court has done to our country just recently. I mean, recently, this term. In just one month it declared gun violence prevention legislation unconstitutional. Rolled back miranda rights and weakened the separation of church and state. The legal reasoning in the Dobbs Decision cites a 17th century jurist who believed in witchcraft, challenges our very right to privacy and in doing so it threatens other freedoms that are protected by that right. They will come for our right for contraception. They will come for our right to love who we love. They will come for Marriage Equality. They may not come for interracial marriage, for an obvious reason. But we know that Clarence Thomas is khofrping at the bit to get khofrping chomping at the bit to get at our rights. This court is a threat to our country and democracy and to our planet. Because last month, Climate Change, which is the single greatest existential threat to our planet, the court crippled the administrations ability to mitigate, to address, to think forwardly, and to remediate. Do you know, this far right extremism on the court made decisions to act against the will of the human race, not to mention the American People. And while this crisis is more visible now more than ever, the conservative Legal Movement was eroding our rights long before dobbs. In 2010 the court ruled that wealthy donors and corporations have more say in our elections than the rest of us. In 2013 it gutted the Voting Rights act. In 2018 it put forth and upheld trumps xenophobic muslim ban. The court was dismantling our democracy before they overturned roe v. Wade and if they have their way, theyre going to continue. Some might think what were proposing is extreme. I think that it is reasonable, reflective and responsive. Because the moment that were in right now is extreme. It is extremely dangerous to our democracy and to our privacy and to our rights. So we must use every single solitary tool that we can imagine to do something about this. And expanding the court is one of those. Holding justices accountable for voting on cases that they have no business voting on, figuring that out is another. Holding justices accountable who lied during questioning before the senate, that is another thing that we need to look at. This is a time when all good women and men must come to the aid of this country and in so doing, we must preserve democracy, preserve our planet and we must employ every single solitary tool that will be at our disposal. We, the people, are who this government is all about. And when we, the people, collectively, consistently, persistently demonstrate, vote at, talk, call, right, write, text, bug, then we the people will make changes happen for the people. And now id like to invite Sean Eldridge cleaver up. Sean is the president and founder of stand up for america. Sean thank you. Im the founder and president of stand up america. Im very proud to be here today to represent our two million members across the country who are working to protect Voting Rights, to reduce the impact of big money in our elections, and to build a truly representative democracy. I want to thank sara and the whole team for organizing this today and thank you to all of the cosponsors of the judiciary act who are here to stand up for our fundamental freedom. As a congresswoman said, some would have you believe that calling for Supreme Court expansion is radical. Or unprecedented. But nothing could be further from the truth. Congress has changed the size of the Supreme Court seven times in our nations history. Seven times. Doing it again to protect our fund phebl freedoms fundamental freedoms and our democracy is not radical. What is radical is how we got to today. Senator mcconnell leaving a Supreme Court seat vacant for more than a year in order to block president obama from appointing a justice in 2016, thats radical. And then turning around and confirming Justice Amy Coney barrett eight days before election day in 2020, that was radical. What the Supreme Court did this term, reversing decades of progress in just weeks, on Abortion Access, gun safety, Climate Action and Voting Rights, that was radical. Given how we got here and what is at stake today, inaction would be radical. The American People are not taking the Supreme Courts attack on our fundamental freedoms sitting down. We are mobilizing across the country to demand action. Congress has the power to rein in this extreme right wing Supreme Court and we are asking them to use that power. Just as members at stand up america have called congress and submitted more than 10,000 letters to the editors across the country in support of the judiciary act. Our message today is that every lawmaker who cares about protecting our fundamental freedoms, our planet and our democracy should cosponsor the judiciary act right now. And do everything in their power to help get it passed. As you can see by the growing number of members and organizations represented here today, the coalition in support of Supreme Court expansion is on the rise and it is growing. And our next speaker is representative of just that. Last month the league of conservation voters for the first time in their history endorsed Supreme Court expansion. And im proud to tpurpb the mi turn the mic over to their advocacy director, doug. [applause] doug thank you, sean. Thank you to all the members, speakers and attendees. Especially to congressman johnson. Im withed league of conservation voters. Three weeks ago a Supreme Court captured by polluter money weakened our countrys most important tool to fight Climate Change. Make no mistake, West Virginia vepa was never about the law. This is a case in which conservative justices heard a case they had no right to hear, to decide an issue they had no right to decide. Based on a madeup legal doctrine they had no right to make up in order to substitute their judgment, their policy preferences, for an e. P. A. Experts, elected officials and the American People. This was a raw exercise of judicial power by a nakedly political Supreme Court. One that chooses its polluter allies over the people of this and every generation going forward. And even as we at the league of conservation voters urge the e. P. A. To use whats left of its climate Regulatory Authority to protect us from the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, we know this court will continue to attack our environment. When the court comes back in the fall and october 3, theyll hear a case that threatens to undermine the clean water act, just like this West Virginia case undermined the clean air act. This court has been thoroughly captured and in order to ensure that it does not continue to attack our environment and our democracy for the rest of our lives, we need to expand and rebalance the stolen court so it serves the people and not the polluters. And now i have the privilege to introduce a true champion of this issue and our environment, congressman mark takano. [applause] mr. Takano thank you. Its very clear to me that this Supreme Court needs to be checked before our democracy gets wrecked. Good afternoon. When the Supreme Court took the extraordinary action of overturning roe v. Wade, they were unrestrained with regard to rolling back the constitutional and fundamental rights of women. We should expect that they will be unrestrained when it comes to rolling back the rights of other groups of americans, indeed all americans. Simply put, the Supreme Court has gone rogue and has become a radical institution that does not reflect the will of the people. Thats because for decades republicans made their politics about taking over the Judicial Branch of government. Theyve only won the positive vote once in the last eight elections, yet they have appointed the supermajority currently threatening to strip you of your rights and me of mine. We need the judiciary act of 2021. Congress must be allowed to expand Congress Needs to expand the number of justices on court to 13, to preserve the rule of law. This has been done before. And it can be done again. The Supreme Court has not kept up with the growth in diversification of this nation. And this has put us all at risk. The. The judiciary act is the only way to restore the critical balance that the court desperately needs and im proud to be fighting alongside my colleagues behind me to make it happen so, it is time for the people to check this court and to express their will. Now id like to introduce the cofounder and executive director of repro action. [applause] erin hello. Im cofounder and executive director of repro action, a National Organization that works to increase access to abortion and advanced reproductive justice. Simply put, this Supreme Court is off the rails and we need to expand it now. In overturning roe v. Wade and planned parenthood v. Casey, the Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent. The first time in history that this has taken Constitutional Rights away from the people. Following this breath taking breach of precedent, there are already at least nine states that have totally banned abortions and its expected that half the states will shortly follow suit. The effect is horrible and it is real. Clinics are deluged and overwhelmed with patients coming in from other states where abortion has been banned. Women of color and lowincome people are fearing increased criminalization. There are real concerns that patients who struggle with cancer will have difficulty getting their medication treatment as a result of this horrible Supreme Court decision. And also that hospitals will be hesitant to treat people who need lifesaving abortions for fear of sending their doctors to prison. Confidence in the Supreme Court is at an alltime low for a reason. One of the groups that filed an amicus brief in favor of overturning roe in the Dobbs Decision, their leader actually admitted to praying with a Supreme Court justice with the Supreme Court justices prior to the decision. Do you trust this Supreme Court for what comes next . No. Erin overturning roe was just the beginning. Now antiabortion forces are seeking to ban and criminalize interstate travel for patients who want to leave states where abortion is banned. They want to ban and criminalize freedom of speech for organizations and individuals like me who simply share the World Health Organization protocol for how medication abortion works. There are also efforts that they are talking about and developing legislation for to actually establish official state religions. In short, with this stacked Supreme Court, the entire bill of rights is at risk. For abortion rights, for the bill of rights, for the future of democracy and individual freedoms, we must act now to save the Supreme Court and to save our country. We must pass the judiciary act now. And so im so pleased to introduce our champion and ally, congressman Mondaire Jones. Thank you so much. [applause] mr. Jones good afternoon, everyone. If you are here today, chances are you knew that we would find ourselves in this moment. Over the last decade, the far right majority on the Supreme Court had already dismantled the Voting Rights act. Waging an assault on the very idea of multiracial democracy and unleashing the present day wave of racist Voter Suppression that we are seeing all throughout this country. Then last month the hyperpartisan 63 majority on court ended the fundamental right to have an abortion in this country. Overturning 50 years of settled precedent and putting the lives of millions of americans, especially black and brown women and trance women trance women, at risk. The trans women, at risk. The harm was felt immediately. A 10yearold rape victim recently had to cross state lines from ohio to indiana to get an abortion and now the doctor who performed that abortion may well be prosecuted. The same week that the Supreme Court ended reproductive freedom in america, it struck down a 100yearold gun safety law, as democrats are trying to end the uniquely american problem of the epidemic of gun violence. And we know that the court then proceeded to gut the e. P. A. s ability to address Climate Change. And to protect us all from polluted air. This Supreme Court is hostile to basic rights and freedoms and it is hostile to our democracy. The question is, what the hell is Congress Going to do about it . Congress has changed the size of the court seven times before in our nations history and we must expand the court today to protect our rights. And to defeat the rise of fascism in america. The Republican Party brought us this crisis. And it is up to democrats to stop it. I implore my democratic colleagues to help us meet this moment. Together we can still save the planet from climate catastrophe and ensure a livable future for generations to come. We can still protect a womans right to choose, End Gun Violence in america and ensure that we have a truly multiracial democracy moving forward. But we cant do that if we dont summon the political courage to meet this moment. And to act boldly. We cant do it if we adopt selfdefeating talking points that you sometimes hear on the republican side about court expansion. It is a travesty. It is an embarrassment, it is a failure of democratic governance that only one additional person signed on to the judiciary act of 2021 after the fall of roe. To my colleagues who say that if we expand the Court Republicans may do it back at some time in the future, understand that the nightmare scenario of g. O. P. Court packing is already upon us. Thats how they got this farright 63 majority in the first place. Following the death of antonin calia, mitch mc scalia, Mitch Mcconnell and his republican allies in the senate left open merrick garrlands seat for 14 months. And then they went back on their nonexistent rule that they invented for cynical purposes to rush through the election of amy coney barrett. The Republican Party will do whatever it takes, whatever it takes to hold onto power and to impose its policies on the American People. And Justice Thomas just told us that the far right majority is not done. Its now coming for Marriage Equality. Contraception. Samesex intimacy. Expanding the court will protect us from future bad decisions. Thats why the vast majority of democrats and the majority of americans agree with adding seats to the court. Democrats in congress should have no faith that anything less than adding four seats to the Supreme Court is going to solve the present day crisis. A less conservative majority gutted the Voting Rights act. And just a few weeks ago it gutted the clean air act. Imagine if the Womens Health protection act and other fundamental rights legislation make their way up to the Supreme Court. Can we have any faith that the Supreme Court majority is not going just strike it down or otherwise undermine it . No. Not at all. Nothing except restoring integrity to the constitution is going stop the stops rampage from seasoning from continuing. History will record how we responded in this moment. How we dealt with these threats. The American People are counting on us to stop this crisis and to save this country and i know and all of us know that we can do that, but only if we fight for it. With that, id like to turn the microphone over to my Dear Colleague from the great state of illinois, the gentlelady, congresswoman jan schakowsky. Thank you so much. [applause] ms. Schakowsky i am congresswoman jan schakowsky. I represent the ninth district of illinois. And i am so happy to be at this take back the court press conference. I was one of the early signers to this legislation and i want to thank hank johnson and also Mondaire Jones for the their leadership, to rebalance the court. And even before the unforgivingable roe decision and what weve seen now with the environment, we knew what was coming because we saw what has happened. We have seen now over a decadelong, under the leadership of Mitch Mcconnell, erosion of the court and the appointing of more than 200 extreme judges to the various courts. And now they have made no secret of the things that they want to do. You know, we heard from Clarence Thomas, samesex marriage, gay rights, they are after all of us. So this is existential now for the United States of america. This court has not only turned on its head the kinds of decisions that undermine our justice system, but are against what the majority of americans are asking for. They dont care. And so we have a chance right now to act. But its going to take bold action. But its not unprecedented action. The number on the court is not set in stone. We can do this if we have the courage and the stamina and the will to get it done. I believe that we do, too much is at stake. Everything that we care about is on the line. Their willingness and lie about it, by the way, some of these justice, most of these justices said that they believed in precedent, that they would agree that things like roe v. Wade was part of that. They simply lied to us. They stalled the election stole the election. People were chosen that never were legitimate to be there at the time that they were there youve heard all about this. And so im just calling on my colleagues im calling on people everywhere to say let us rebalance the court in a way that reflects the priorities and the desires of the American People and is consistent with the laws that govern this great [applause] thank you so much congresswoman. I want to say a special thank you to my hometown congresswoman. Now i am glad to introduce my friend and colleague, katie oconnor. [applause] good afternoon. My name is katie oconnor. Im the deputy chief counsel. I want to thank take back the court and the other organizations represented here for being such Coalition Partners in this fight. I want to thank the senators and representatives and every member of congress who has cosponsored the judiciary act of 2021. They recognize the imminent threat the Supreme Court poses and no expanding the court is the way to address the threat. Last month, we saw the combination of a decadelong project by the Republican Party to stack the court with reliable partisans who will enact conservative policies that are too unpopular to be enacted by the elected branches. In one weeks time, the court overturned roe, inhibited art ability to act on the Climate Crisis and the gun violence epidemic. The majority also signaled it is just getting started. Affirmative action, antidiscrimination laws that protect lgbtq people and what is left of the Voting Rights act of 1965 are on the chopping block next year. It is alarming the court has agreed to hear a case that could give hearing understood state legislatures a result that had it been in place in 2020 could have made trumps effort to overturn the elections successful. Adding four seats to the Supreme Court is the only reform that immediately addresses the threat. It is constitutional. It has been done before. It is increasingly popular among the american public. Americans are more likely to support than oppose Supreme Court expansion by a seven point margin. That point increases with every unpopular decision this court makes. Our democracy is hurting. If we do not act with the urgency this moment requires, we are opposed for another 30 years of antidemocrat rule. Every democrat member of Congress Needs to cosponsor the judiciary act and they need to hear from their constituents until they do it. Thank you for your time. I will pass the floor to one of our champions on this critical piece of legislation. [applause] im a hockey player from michigan. It is too hot out here. The epa has to have the ability to deal with Climate Change. I want to thank chairman johnson and take back the court, action fund for gathering is here today to talk about this crucial issue. I came here to expand rights, not watch them be contracted. Lets take a moment to celebrate the 9100 people who work in these buildings, just say, senator, these buildings in the capital, today have their new right to form unions and bargain collectively come into action because of the resolution we passed that i propose you may. And eight offices have announced their organizing. Lets expand rights in this country, not contract them. [applause] our democracy is hanging by a thread. I have set up before, i will say it again. America is supposed to be a secular democracy, not a theocracy. The extremist right wing majority in that court is not doing anything to protect americans. They are advancing an egregious agenda and imposing their personal political beliefs on all of us rather than following any mainstream interpretation of our country cycle applause. Our countrys laws. The Supreme Court has never will back a right the people of this country have had for over 50 years. Sure, they have broken with past precedent occasionally, but to create a more Inclusive Society that is more protective of personal liberties. Now, because this radical court, 36 million women and people who could become pregnant do not have access to fundamental human rights to a safe and legal abortion. We are not going to stand for it. We cannot assume the court is done. As my colleagues have mentioned, Clarence Thomas says it openly, the other one slide, they are agreeing with him quietly. They are ready to take away contraception, the right to samesex intimacy and Marriage Equality. We are not going to stand for it. Enough is enough. We cannot accept the far right majoritys continued assault on human rights. I will not tolerate a society where my 17yearold daughter enjoys fewer freedoms than my wife and her mom and grandparents. It is past time to reform the Supreme Court. I am for a whole suite of reforms. Lets open a discussion about our democracy in this country. But the thing we can obviously do right now is pack pass this judiciary act and expand the court to begin to bring a sense of balance back to justice in this country. We are going to continue to call on our senators, our colleagues on the other end of the building, to a polish to abolish the filibuster and pass meaningful legislation to enshrine abortion rights and statue. The Supreme Court gets to interpret the constitution, but Congress Still writes the laws. Lets elect enough freedom loving legislators and get it done. We need people of courage to stand up and help expand the Supreme Court right now. We want to restore Voting Rights, restore abortion rights, attack Climate Change and without urgent and sweeping reforms up we are never going to get the true freedom and justice we all believe in for this country. Lets get this done. It is time. It is a moment of courage, i am calling on all our colleagues to join us. I would like to introduce from National Center for lesbian rights, julie. [applause] thank you, congressman. My name is julie, i am with the National Center for lesbian rights. Our organization was founded 45 years ago by two attorneys seeking justice for lesbian moms who were losing custody of their children simply because of who they were. We now represent lesbian, gay, gait, transgender issues across numbers across a of issues. We believe no one should be denied the right to parent because of who they are or have parenthood forced upon them by denial of abortion or other Reproductive Health care. We believe the government has no business telling someone who they should love, mary, and whether and how to form a family. In other words, we believe in individual freedom and autonomy. Our current Supreme Court has placed these cherished freedoms in the question. As a legal organization, we have turned to the courts to secure the right to dignity of the Lgbtq Community and to assist insist would be included in the constitutions promises of liberty and equal protection. Our faith in the courts as arbiters of justice has been shaken. Last month, in dobbs b jackson, for the first time the Supreme Court moved to take away rights rather than expend them. We take seriously the warning of the justices in dobbs when they said no one should be confident this majority is done with its work. Justice thomas has expressly invited challenges to griswold v connecticut, lawrence versus texas. The Court Continues to reach out aggressively for cases that challenges to affirmative action, to lgbtq nondiscrimination, to the integrity of state and federal elections. To the indian Child Welfare act. Reasonable health and safety regulations and more. In the face of these developments, we, like the rest of the public, have lost our confidence in the Supreme Court. Last month we joined with our colleagues in calling for the elimination of the Senate Filibuster to pass essential Voting Rights reforms and for core expansion. Necessary measures to reform the court and ensure the health of our democracy. We commend senator markey and congressman johnson for introducing the judiciary act. We urge congress to pass a and President Biden to sign it. We need to meet this with the bold urgency it requires. Now i turn it over to sunrise movement. [applause] my name is lauren, i am from the sunrise movement. During the hottest summer on record, while floods, wildfires and droughts ravage our communities, the Supreme Courts stacks justices sided with holcomb Coal Companies of our communities to make it harder for the epa to do its job of limiting toxic emissions in solving the Climate Crisis. I am here because i know we need and deserve a strong democratic government that protects the safety and needs of its people, not of corporate executives. And that my vision for this government is not unrealistic, nor impossible. It is simply necessary for our survival. My generation will not sit back and watch our democratic leadership chair platitudes and dodge responsibility while White Supremacists goc white supremacist gop destroys our democracy. They can continue their current path to protecting the status quo and we can keep watching the gop strip away our fundamental rights or they can step up and fight. Expand the core and do everything in their power to protect us. I know my generation is not going to stop fighting until we live to see that day. With that, i am honored to pass it to congresswoman to leave. Congresswoman tliab. Thank you to the great leadership, who before these decisions are made for already moving forward and making sure Supreme Court is reflective of the majority of the American People. We know we need to move with urgency. You heard from those talk about the league of conservation voters in sunrise, i come from a community that is surrounded by corporate rs. We are on the front lines of what not to do when it comes to allowing a freeforall for corporate owners to profit off of people. We lost more of my black neighbors than any other community in michigan, even though the total population is less than 15 because of environmental racism. Because of preexisting conditions, because pollution is all around them. All they want is a fair chance to fight for their right to breathe clean air and that means making sure the epa has the authority in the state has the authority to be able to work with the federal folks to make sure that happens. Im tired of walking into a third grade class, asking how many of you have asthma and a third of them raise their hands. There is a human impact in these decisions being made by an unhinged, unelected Supreme Court. We all know the history of Mitch Mcconnell stealing one of the nominations as well as the number of controversial schemes behind justice kavanaugh, i dont want to focus on that. What i want to focus on is the fact that the majority of the American People do not agree with his decisions being made. The fact that they are asking for more representation on the Supreme Court. This is something that is incredibly popular. I cannot tell you, for folks that did not know about the bill, they are lightweight, can you expand the court . Yes we done it seven times before. We can do it next time. Understanding was possible and then sing move and act on this. Right now, it is not even just the right to choose and control our bodies, but what is coming. I already know it is going to be communities like mine, predominantly black community in detroit, or might neighbors are suffering from not having access to Quality Health care, it is going to be more difficult. There are literally surrounded by air permits, so incredibly difficult. I want everyone to know, we are going to fight for that. In the meantime, we have to make sure this Important Branch of government, unhinged right now, very political, it is interesting to see it sounds like it was a political rally. We are not done yet. Theyre going to be more. Think about that. The it sounded like a political rally. More is coming. We have to ask, we have to be proactive. The other night the other side would not hesitate to do what we are about to do, which is continue to push and advocate. What i learned over and over again is supporting those on the ground that know what is at stake in making sure that we are an extension of what theyre doing on the ground and educating the public. That is how we got the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the right to vote, the right to organize labor. The people in this community demanded. Theyre going to stand here with others that believe in what we are trying to do. It is incredibly important. We must continue to protect the democracy is reflective of the majority of the American People. Right now six unhinged, unelected Supreme Court justices literally telling women they have no control over their bodies. They are telling communities like mine, they do not have a right to breathe clean air, the profits come before them and their public health. It is so important that we move with urgency. My residence my residents dont have another election wait for change. We are in control, let us act like it. Thank you so much. [applause] now let me help welcome my Amazing College Sheila Jackson lee from texas. First of all, acknowledge my chair on the Judiciary Committee as we cochaired different committees, thank him for his leadership, my colleague and friend, congressman johnson. And my colleague, newly here, but is not nearly to the fight for justice, congressman jones. And to senator markey, who we look to on the senate side for life, justice, freedom and equality. Thank you so much. The long list of colleagues that are here and to the 90 organizations and those of you who are here, is the work of the people. We are on the grounds of the peoples house. It is important that these organizations are seen and heard today. Let me be clear, on the importance of this. An Early Morning flight after being rejected on flights earlier than this, to be able to get from texas to land here in time to be here for this press conference, because it is embedded in my dna. The reason is this press conference stands on hb eight. Which is the most outrageous antiabortion bill that now has spread its tentacles of discussed across america. Disgust across america. As an oral born scholar as an earl warren scholar, who provided the in the brown b, v board. Justice warren was a republican. I want to be very clear that we are not standing here trying to characterize the court as democratic or republican. What we are saying is, we characterize it as the last refuge for justice. I reject at hand any comparison to the Court Packing of the 1940s. This is not Court Packing. This is a constitutional privilege that we have. Theres no debate that under constitutional structure, congress has the power and responsibility to regulate the size of the Supreme Court. We are not doing our job. I stand against any interpretation that we are packing the court. I probably ran to be one of the first cosponsors of Hank Johnsons legislation. And to support the 13 justices. It is important to note that for more than 50 years, most justices have been appointed by republican president s. Even though the gop candidates lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight elections. Republican president s appointed 15 of the last 19 justices. The correct ports majority the current quartz majority current courts majority was appointed the American People could still look to the court as a refuge for responding to the law. And not responding to their individual personal biases. That is what is going on. They have thrown justice to the wind. I believe it is imperative that we they have thrown roby with wade roe v. Wade to the wind. And weve open the door to adjust is to get rid of civil rights if necessary. To get rid of contraceptive protection if necessary. How tragic the griswold, and other cases may fall as the needle of the Supreme Court. The important question is acceptance of the Supreme Court. Hb 8 included a provision that no one in modern america ever heard, a bounty provision. I take it personally. You read the history of narrative slaves, bounty hunters would use to ensure those slaves were caught and money was paid for them. I dont know where texas got this right to use a bounty concept. You can go after a provider or a woman and get 10,000. 10,000, and it is moving across america. Can you imagine that the Supreme Court allowed that to stand . We have passed legislation, the travel act, the codification, Amy Klobuchar has introduced an antistalking, and we criminalize it. Let us have enough courage. Somebody can die. As we prevail, with the support of all of you on that aspect, if it goes to the Supreme Court, what will they do . Stand with the bounty hunters . Against young women who are seeking to get reproductive freedom. Let me cite for you, as i make my final point, which i think is really something i want to focus on, i have held the Supreme Court in esteem, even though republican appointed in the yesteryear, you would think there would be justice rendered. Neil gorsuch, in his confirmation hearing, it is sacred, under oath, the American People are watching, he says this about roe v. Wade, it has been reaffirmed, of the judge will consider as president of the United States Supreme Court, where the of treatment as worthy of treatment as precedent. Brett kavanaugh said to the roe v. Wade question, it entitles the respect of the principles of stare decisis, my belief is rooted in the constitution, and importance of the rule of law, i am i dont rock the boat kind of judge. Amy coney barrett, i will avail all the rules of stare decisis, and if the question of roe v. Wade comes up before me, i will follow the law as the court is articulating, applying all the factors reliant [indiscernible] just the standard of factors. Under oath. I know everybody here gets frightened when they have to put their hand up. They believe they have to tell the truth. And yet, what happened in the dobbs case . What happened to president , what happened to precedent, stare decisis . I said in the Judiciary Committee, if we are to yield to states rights and glorifies states rights, i might not even be free. I might not be even free, i would certainly not be a firstclass citizen, i would be a secondclass citizen because of my heritage. How dare you tell me to celebrate states rights . And this is like dred scott, where the court overturned it. No it is not. Roe v. Wade is protected by constitutional right of the right to privacy. Dred scott eroded equal protection of the law or any concept of morality. It was correcting bad and wrong. Roe v. Wade was uplifting your rights. The shelti case was making it wrong and stopping me from voting. That is what the Supreme Court of the spirited. I that is what the Supreme Court of this area did. But the idea of ensuring the peoples voices heard, the justices granted the equality and liberty is rendered. And we do not stand victim to peoples personal desires and beliefs to be able to undermine the heart of what people admire america for, and that is democracy. That is freedom. That is being heard. That is justice. I support this legislation with every aspect of my bones and my body and i believe it is important and crucial that this goes to the desk of the president of the United States. Justice is been denied. [applause] thank you congresswoman. We are so glad to be on the site with you. I just want to let you know, we are going to close out with remarks from our incredible senate champion, senator ed markey, then we will open it up to questions from the press. Next year going to hear from Jennifer Flynn walker, center of popular democracy. They got on their tiktok, congresswoman Sheila Jackson lee just give us an amazing history lesson. I want to watch it over and over again and judge other people. My name is Jennifer Flynn walker, and the cochief of campaigns for the center for popular democracy. Our members, represent millions of people in this country. They took action day after day for months to try to stop the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh and amy coney barrett. It did not happen before an election, it happened in the middle of an election. We confirmed amy coney barrett, Mitch Mcconnell confirmed her to the Supreme Court. We said that this court is a legitimate and we knew they would take away our rights. Here we are this court is illegitimate and we knew they would take away our rights. We got together 2. 5 weeks ago with planned parenthood action fund, for the first time ever, they engaged in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience to send a message. They knew the court could no longer protect our rights. Our right to health care, to abortion, to voting access. My right to get married. I know some of the Supreme Court wants to go back to 1869, that was when there were nine members of the Supreme Court was set. I do not want to go back to 1869. The judiciary act is not just about restoring our rights. It is also about rightsizing report to meet our current population. In 1870, there were 38 Million People in the United States. Now there are 331 million. This is about adding enough Supreme Court justices to match our current population. The members of the center for popular democracy are going to continue to fight until the judiciary act becomes law. We can write size this court and get some justice back. I am excited to be able to introduce the champion of the judiciary act in the senate, one of our brave progressive senators, senator ed markey. [applause] thank you, so much. Thank you to all of the advocates and leaders who stand here today as the nations highest court is at its lowest moment. To demand an end to the extreme and extremist majority. Thank you to sarah, to representative hank johnson, congressman jones, mark takano, proceeded to leave, Sheila Jackson lee. The many leaders from the sunrise movement, to invisible and beyond who are standing with us in this fight. A stolen Supreme Court has stolen the rights of millions of americans. And they are just getting started. These radical, rightwing justices have already undermined justice for millions of americans, from the front line Environmental Justice communities, whose right to clean air has been jeopardized to the families whose safety from the scourge of gun violence has been undermined, to the millions of women, pregnant people, lgbtq plus communities, rural and lowincome americans and people of color across our country whose right to abortion care and privacy has been curtailed. This is not what the American People want. This is what congress wants. It is not what the president of the United States once. Yet this illegitimate court is just getting started. In their mission to dismantle our rights. And further dissolve trust in the court. Polls show americans competence in the court, alltime low. With one in four americans reporting confidence in these polarizing justices. This is a crisis of legitimacy for the United States Supreme Court. It did not happen overnight, it is the result of years of plans, Mitch Mcconnell, donald trump stole two seats. This is given us a dangerous bench with lifetime appointments. We cannot wait a lifetime, we have to act now. We have to find solutions. First, we must abolish the filibuster. It is a jim crow era relic that is impeding the will of the American People. Second, we must take congressional action to safeguard the rights this court is undermining. That means passing federal legislation that codifies roe and the right to abortion, the right to contraception. It means building on the first steps in that Safer Communities act to pass stronger gun safety legislation, including a ban on assault weapons. Means we never back down in the fight for Climate Action and Environmental Justice, no matter the fossil fuels act opposition in her path. We must take all the necessary step of expanding the Supreme Court by passing our bill. The judiciary act up which is cosponsored in the senate by senator Elizabeth Warren and senator tina smith and there are more that will join. It is been introduced in the house of representatives by congressman johnson and jones were here today. It has been cosponsored by dozens of house members. We need to restore the legitimacy of the court. It is hard to imagine how the decisions from this term couldve been worse, i feel all it is as a preview of coming atrocities from the Supreme Court. A preview of what is ahead in the next couple of years, and the next couple of decades, from this illgotten majority. With its decision in West Virginia this West Virginia versus epa, expressly invoking the socalled major questions doctrine, the Supreme Court limited the epas ability to fight Climate Change. With that decisions of the far right court gave us a preview of what is to come. With the West Virginia decisions at the high court has weaponized and obscure judicial doctrine to tie the hands of federal agencies and prevent them from taking the most bold and biggest actions of the most innovative actions to solve problems facing us today. Problems that endanger health, safety and welfare of the American People. That is what West Virginia versus epa is about. An attack on congresses authority by backward looking justices. Down the road, we will see what this will mean. It will mean things like making it impossible to put restrictions on ecigarettes and getting them out of the hands of children. Rules that would halt the production of dangerous but on traceable but untraceable ghost guns. It is an example of the harm of the harm this stolen Supreme Court has caused and what it does portend. That is why we need to take back. We cannot sit back as a captive court captures her rights. Expanding the court is constitutional. It has been done before, we can do it now. The reason we support this approach is that it is constitutional. It is immediate. And it does the job dealing with the crisis of today. There are six justices on the Supreme Court, five of them could serve for 20 more years. Until the American People cannot wait until 2042 to rid ourselves of this illgotten majority. We have to act now in order to make sure we reclaim those seeds so that the American People have a Supreme Court that they can be proud of. Thank you for being here today. [applause] thank you senator markey, thank you everyone for sticking with us. I hope you can tell from the depth and breath of all the speakers how urgent the need is. Which is why we are here. We would like to open it up to questions from the media. Please share your name and outlet. [inaudible] i think we have been operating our democracy has been operating under rules established two centuries ago. We have seen in our modern history, just recently how our democracy, our form of government is in need of remodeling, rehab. All ideas in terms of reforms that create an opportunity for the people we the people to continue to have the right to freedom in this country. All ideas are on the table. Lets face it, our congress is slow to act, in part due to the process, the antiquated process we operate under. Rules like the filibuster. These things impede our ability to move swiftly in the 21st century. Congress needs to work on its own processes as we work on the processes of the executive branch and the Judicial Branch. That is the prerogative of the responsibility of congress. In the short term, passage of the judiciary act 2021 will accomplish a rebalance of our court and unpacking of our court so it reflects a modern day america in all of its diversity and denial of its thinking. And in all of its thinking. Biden and his administration have repeatedly said they do not support expanding the court. What happens if somehow the senate abolishes the filibuster, passes the judiciary act, beau biden biden is not willing to sign . What biden is not going to sign . Theres going to be a rising tide of opposition to the Supreme Court. As each decision is made by the Supreme Court, there is going to be a mountain of public outcry that is going to be matched by house and senate support. Ultimately, it is going to become clear that this law must pass, the court must be expanded. Abe lincoln did it during the civil war. We must do it during this incredible political war that has broken out in this country, to make sure we do not lose. Otherwise, it is like the kid down the schoolyard that constantly has their lunch money stolen. If we do not do anything, then the republicans win. I think that is going to become clear as each day goes by, ultimately i do hope President Biden sign the bill. Reporter obviously there is a lot in the legislative queue right now, when is it going to take for the final process [inaudible] it is often the case that members of congress are behind the American People when it comes to the way they understand this country to be and where we need to be moving forward in terms of fundamental rights and other legislation. I think we will continue to see a Grassroots Movement grow in strength and number and increasingly more members of the house of representatives and the United States senate sign onto the judiciary act of 2021, i am not saying it is going to happen overnight. The vices the crisis we are facing today did not happen overnight. One thing is clear is of the American People are on our side. At some point, i think sooner rather than later, people who have not yet signed on to this bill are going to be met with some form of accountability from the people they represent, and from the American People. Reporter [inaudible] are you confident in that and how are you and your colleagues going to get that legislation through . In congress we usually dont like to use absolute. But i am absolutely confident. We have seen the passage of the codification of roe v. Wade, we have seen the passage of a bill that expands the constitutional right to travel, ive introduce the antistocking vigilante bill to stop people from interfering with reproductive rights or abortion rights. You will see the effort to respect everyones right to marry who they want to marry. I suspect there will be a strong support for all these legislative initiatives. I suspect that in the senate, it is a different atmosphere now. Because we have to be dual track , one filled with the reversal of the Supreme Court decisions and what did the American People look to it, they look to their legislative body, particularly congress to represent the majority of their views. You will find it is a majority of the views of americans are for democracy, for the right to privacy under the ninth amendment. Or the right to reproductive freedoms of Voting Rights, the right to breathe clean air, certainly the right to marry. I do believe we will have the momentum. We are already introducing bills, sometimes congress has been slow in introducing the bills. We are securing sponsors from all over the landscape of the democratic caucus. We welcome anyone else to join us. There will be a movement urgently to jerk move this legislation, we have to answer to people who are suffering. The way we have it right now, we really have threats of death to providers in those women seeking their reproductive freedom. We do not know what the next step will be of someone trying to stand in the way of someone traveling or someone going into a legitimate clinic, indiana state that has a right to abortion. We have the obligation to protect the American People. Voting has been in jeopardy since shelby. People asking us are we going just be safe and voting . We have to do something. I believe, certainly what Justice Thomas said, on the issues of contraception and marriage, it is crucial that we protect marriage. I think theres a movement, momentum, a push by the American People to do justice and to do it justly. They are asking us to do our jobs and that is what we are doing. You should not forget that anything that the legislature passes, the Supreme Court is the final arbiter as to whether it is constitutional or not. That gives you some idea of this second track youre talking about. Yes we can pass legislation, but that legislation will be challenged across the street. This right wing republican extremist Supreme Court, which has been captured by money interests, the future is not bright with the current arrangement. That is why we need to pass the judiciary act of why 21 2021. Thank you congressman. Thank you everyone for joining us today. Congressman johnson, senator markey, congresswoman jackson lee, thank you for being here. My amazing advocacy colleagues. Thank you everyone for staying. If you have additional questions, you can reach out to folks in take back the court tshirts. Thank you so much. [applause] heres a look at what is live today. On cspan, the house returns at 10 00 a. M to consider a bill that regards the right to marry. At 10 a. M. On cspan two, the senate is back for judicial nominations and the procedural vote later in the and on cspan3, transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg testifies on the 2021 infrastructure law before the transportation committee. That is also a 10 00 a. M. Eastern. Everything also streams live on the free cspan now video app or online at cspanshop. Org