FIERCE: Democratic powerhouses speak out against corrupt Supreme Court
“Unaccountability leads to corruption,” said New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman on Saturday in regard to the Supreme Court.
Rep. Coleman appeared at a press conference at the Just Majority bus tour stop in the state capital of Trenton to demand justice with an expanded Court.
Joining Rep. Coleman were two other powerful Democratic women: Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood and the founder of Supermajority, and Georgetown Law professor Caroline Frederickson, who was the President of the American Constitution Society from 2009-2019.
“For decades, conservative Republicans and their powerful donors have worked to undermine our democracy,” Rep. Coleman said in her opening statements. “And they used the Supreme Court to accomplish it.”
In response to a question as to what should be done in response to the conservative justices who seem to vote for their own best interests, Rep. Coleman didn’t hold back.
“I think everything should be done,” Rep. Coleman said. “Any judge who doesn’t have the moral fiber and the commitment to the Constitution should not be on the bench right now.”
Rep. Coleman also addressed the breaking news on Saturday regarding Jane Roberts, the wife of Chief Justice John Roberts, who earned millions in commissions from law firms while recruiting and vetting new lawyers.
Here’s @RepBonnie responding to the breaking news about Justice John Roberts’s wife Jane making millions recruiting corporate lawyers: “Unaccountability leads to corruption” #ExpandTheCourt #JustMajority #SCOTUS @CecileRichards @crfredrickson pic.twitter.com/7gr0y1TjS5
— Tara Dublin wrote a really cool book! (@taradublinrocks) April 29, 2023
Cecile Richards, whose mother, Ann, was the greatest governor Texas ever had, spoke about the impact of the three Justices slammed through the process by Donald Trump’s lackeys in the Senate.
“We’re here today because the Supreme Court is no longer a source of justice in America,” Richards began. “Women have had their most fundamental freedoms stripped away by this Supreme Court.”
She continued, “And, frankly, they live in fear of what’s next.”
Richards spoke about the unbalanced Supreme Court overturning the Roe decision that guaranteed the right to abortion across America.
“Despite their testimony during confirmation hearings reaffirming their respect and support of judicial precedent, five justices on the Supreme Court overturned fifty years of the right to make our own decisions about pregnancy,” Richards stated.
“We didn’t lose this right because abortion was longer necessary,” Richards pointed out. “And we didn’t lose this right because the American people decided they changed their minds.”
The facts absolutely matter when it comes to abortion statistics, Richards stressed. “Support for Roe v Wade has never been stronger in this country.”
Caroline Frederickson, who served on President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court Commission, focused on the legal reasons why the Court must be expanded.
“President Biden established the Commission because it was recognized by so many people that the Supreme Court is putting the United States into crisis.”
Frederickson detailed the many “problems” with the Court, explaining how the Commission took more than a year to focus on reforms, particularly ethics reform.
“It’s on everyone’s mind,” Frederickson said, using Clarence Thomas and his relationship with billionaire Harlan Crow as the prime example.
“Members of the Supreme Court have engaged in behavior that no member of Congress would,” Frederickson said. “Congress is held to a much higher standard in terms of receiving gifts, taking travel from wealthy donors, selling real estate to those who have an interest in front of your Court.”
“Unfortunately, I could go on and on,” Frederickson said.
I had the great pleasure to grab a few minutes with Richards and Rep. Coleman.
When Democratic women speak truth to power, we must listen.
@taradublinrocks I’m on the #JustMajority tour with CecileRichards, former President of @plannedparenthood & founder of #Supermajority talking about #abortionrights why we need to #ExpandSCOTUS
@taradublinrocks I’m on the #JustMajority bus tour in Trenton NJ & you need to listen to #bonniewatsoncoleman because #BlackWomenLead #ExpandSCOTUS
Correction: The original version of this story mistakenly said that the Supreme Court overturned Dobbs, not Roe v. Wade. We regret the error.
Occupy Democrats is incredibly proud to partner with the Just Majority bus tour, which is making stops all across the country to spread the word about Supreme Court expansion and other issues important to Democratic voters.
*Funding for this report was provided by the Just Majority tour via a 501c3 nonprofit charity. Find out more at occupydemocrats.com/disclosures
