September, 26 2018, 12:00am EDT
CREDO Statement on Third Set of Kavanaugh Allegations
WASHINGTON
CREDO released the statement below in response to a third woman coming forward with sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh:
"We believe Julie Swetnick, Deborah Ramirez and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford," said CREDO Action Co-Director Heidi Hess. "How many women need to come forward with credible allegations before Senate Republicans and Donald Trump will acknowledge that Brett Kavanaugh is a sexual predator and a liar?" Hess asked. "Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have shown through both their behavior and comments that they have zero interest in confronting the disturbing reality of Brett Kavanaugh's past," she said.
"This entire confirmation process has been a case study in Republicans' misogyny and disregard for the truth," Hess continued. "Once Brett Kavanaugh's nomination has finally been withdrawn or defeated, he should be impeached from the D.C. Circuit."
A few details on CREDO's work in opposition to Kavanaugh's confirmation can be found below:
80,000+ SIGN PETITION TO SENATE: TREAT SURVIVORS WITH RESPECT: The petition, which can be found here, reads: "Survivors who make public their stories of sexual assault or harassment are taking huge risks to hold abusers accountable, especially when a Supreme Court seat is at stake. Respect Christine Blasey Ford for her courage and refuse to undermine, discredit or defame her."
CREDO POLL SHOWS KAVANAUGH'S UNPOPULARITY IN MAINE: A poll conducted Sept. 14-17 for CREDO Victory Fund by Civiqs found that 56 percent of registered voters in Maine oppose the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. The poll also found that 54 percent of registered voters in Maine say they would be less likely to support Senator Susan Collins' reelection if she votes to confirm Kavanaugh.
MORE THAN A DOZEN PROGRESSIVE GROUPS TO SEN. SCHUMER: THE SUPREME COURT IS ON THE LINE AND YOU ARE FAILING US: CREDO drafted and spearheaded a September 7 letter urging Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer to immediately unite all Senate Democrats in opposition to Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court. More information can be found here and the letter can be viewed here.
CREDO BILLBOARD TRUCK CIRCULATED ON CAPITOL HILL DURING KAVANAUGH'S CONFIRMATION HEARING: From September 4-6, CREDO's mobile billboard circulated on Capitol Hill to make clear that it is Sen. Chuck Schumer's job to unite all Senate Democrats in opposition to Kavanaugh. The billboard read: "49 democrats, 49 no votes on Kavanaugh. Do your job, Sen. Schumer." Video footage of the mobile billboard can be viewed here. High-resolution photos are available upon request.
265,000+ SIGN PETITIONS URGING SENATE TO REJECT KAVANAUGH: More than 265,000 CREDO members have signed petitions in opposition to Kavanaugh's confirmation. The petitions focus on Kavanaugh's hostility to women's rights, his anti-environment agenda, Trump's role as a criminal co-conspirator and the unprecedented lack of transparency regarding Kavanaugh's record.
CREDO POLL SHOWS NEW YORK DEMOCRATS THINK IT IS SEN. SCHUMER'S RESPONSIBILITY TO UNITE DEMOCRATS AGAINST KAVANAUGH: A new poll conducted for CREDO Victory Fund by Public Policy Polling on Sept 14 and 15 shows that a strong majority of Democrats in New York think it is Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer's responsibility to make sure all Senate Democrats oppose Brett Kavanaugh. The results showed that 61 percent of Democratic voters in New York said it is Sen. Schumer's responsibility, 26 percent said it is not and 14 percent were not sure.
13,000+ PHONE CALLS TO SENATE OFFICES: CREDO members have made more than 13,000 phone calls to senate offices in opposition to Kavanaugh, including thousands of calls to the offices of Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Jeff Flake, and more than 5,000 calls urging Sen. Schumer to unite all Democrats against Kavanaugh.
CREDO EXECUTIVES ARRESTED DISRUPTING DAY ONE OF CONFIRMATION HEARING: CREDO vice presidents Trish Tobin and Josh Nelson were arrested disrupting Brett Kavanaugh's Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on September 4. Before being dragged from the room, Josh Nelson shouted, "this hearing is an attack on women's rights. It is an attack on democracy. Shut this hearing down." Video footage of the arrests can be viewed here.
CREDO Action, part of CREDO Mobile, is a social change network of over five million activists, sending tens of millions of petition signatures and hundreds of thousands of phone calls to decision-makers each year. CREDO Action members also participate in meetings, protests and other direct action for progressive change.
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Wyden Says Spying Bill Would Force Americans to Become an 'Agent for Big Brother'
"If you have access to any communications, the government can force you to help it spy," said Sen. Ron Wyden.
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Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden took to the floor of the U.S. Senate on Tuesday to speak out against a chilling mass surveillance bill that lawmakers are working to rush through the upper chamber and send to President Joe Biden's desk by the end of the week.
The measure in question would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for two years and massively expand the federal government's warrantless surveillance power by requiring a wide range of businesses and individuals to cooperate with spying efforts.
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More than two dozen House Democrats on Tuesday challenged the Biden administration's claim that Israel is using U.S.-supplied weapons in compliance with domestic and international law—an assertion made amid an ongoing World Court probe of "plausibly" genocidal Israeli policies and practices in Gaza.
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The wife of jailed WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sharply criticized "assurances" the U.S. government made as the U.K. High Court considers allowing the 52-year-old Australian's extradition to the United States, where he faces 175 years in prison.
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Responding on social media, his wife, Stella Assange—who is an attorney—blasted the U.S. assurances as "weasel words."
"The United States has issued a nonassurance in relation to the First Amendment, and a standard assurance in relation to the death penalty," she said. "It makes no undertaking to withdraw the prosecution's previous assertion that Julian has no First Amendment rights because he is not a U.S citizen."
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