Just 12 hours after President Trump announced Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination, I joined one of the dozens of
#SaveSCOTUS rallies happening nationwide to protest the conservative stacking of the Supreme Court. At 10 A.M. Tuesday morning, I rallied with 30 other activists outside of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen’s office to thank him for opposing Trump’s nomination. We lined up along Rockville Pike and waved our signs that read “Protect Roe,” “Van Hollen Trusts Women,” and “Keep Abortion Legal.” Our chants were met with honks and cheers from fellow pro-choice supporters on their morning commutes.
After half an hour of rallying on the street, we marched up to the 9th floor and filled the hallway that lead to the Senator’s office. Since Senator Van Hollen was on Capitol Hill at the time, one of his staffers met us outside in the hallway (there wasn’t enough room for us in the office!) to thank us for our support and activism. She reiterated the Senator’s disapproval of Trump’s attempts to fill the Supreme Court with ideologically ultraconservative Justices and promised that Senator Van Hollen will not only oppose but also fight Kavanaugh’s nomination.
While we were able to thank Senator Van Hollen for his active opposition, hundreds of other activists across the country have to demand vocal disapproval from their Senators. Trump’s nomination is a blatant attempt to roll back some 60 years of women’s rights and civil rights. If Kavanaugh is confirmed, the Trump Court will further threaten the Affordable Care Act, LGBTQ+ rights, affirmative action, protections for workers, access to birth control, immigrant rights, and voting rights, among other hard won gains.
Since the Senate only requires a simple majority to approve the nomination, every vote against Kavanaugh is vital. It is imperative that Senators – Democrats and Republicans alike – acknowledge #WhatsAtStake for so many and vote no against Brett Kavanaugh.
If your Senators, like Chris Van Hollen, have already vocalized their opposition to the nomination, that doesn’t mean your work is done. Join us in rallying at your Senators’ offices and demanding that they actively advocate against this nomination. Individual votes will not defeat Kavanaugh – we need leadership among Senators to make sure that this Supreme Court nomination is not confirmed.