August, 06 2019, 12:00am EDT
Demand Justice Statement Commends House Democrats for Seeking Hidden Kavanaugh Documents, Urges that They be Released Publicly
On Tuesday, Demand Justice Executive Director Brian Fallon released the following statement in response to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee Chairman Hank Johnson (D-GA) requesting hidden documents from the National Archives related to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's service in the George W. Bush White House:
WASHINGTON
On Tuesday, Demand Justice Executive Director Brian Fallon released the following statement in response to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Subcommittee Chairman Hank Johnson (D-GA) requesting hidden documents from the National Archives related to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's service in the George W. Bush White House:
"This is a critical first step in conducting the real investigation of Brett Kavanaugh that Senate Republicans prevented from happening last year. We applaud House Democrats for demanding these documents and urge that they be turned over immediately and released to the public in full.
"In their attempt to rush through last year's sham confirmation process, Republicans refused to pursue millions of pages of records from Kavanaugh's tenure in the George W. Bush White House. These documents could prove that Kavanaugh lied under oath to the Senate. They may also shed light on his true views on issues like Roe v. Wade, and reveal biases that should disqualify him from hearing abortion-related cases in the future.
"It is hugely important that these documents be turned over as soon as possible, that they be made public, and that the House fights any bogus claims of privilege."
NOTE: Demand Justice joined with more than two dozen organizations in April in calling for the House Democrats to make the request announced today. As detailed in Demand Justice's report on the need to investigate Kavanaugh, because of the broken process that Senator Charles Grassley conducted during Kavanaugh's confirmation last year, the public was able to see a mere 7.8% of his White House documents. In comparison, the public saw 99% of Justice Elana Kagan's documents from her time at the Clinton White House.
Demand Justice is a progressive movement fighting to restore the ideological balance and legitimacy of the federal courts by advocating for court reform and vigorously opposing extreme nominees.
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"The United States has been a leader in the global fight to eradicate polio, which is poised to become only the second disease in history to be eliminated from the face of the earth after smallpox," said Liza Barrie, Public Citizen's campaign director for global vaccines access. "Undermining polio vaccination efforts now risks reversing decades of progress and unraveling one of the greatest public health achievements of all time."
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According to the newspaper:
Mr. Siri is also representing ICAN in petitioning the FDA to "pause distribution" of 13 other vaccines, including combination products that cover tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and hepatitis A, until their makers disclose details about aluminum, an ingredient researchers have associated with a small increase in asthma cases.
Mr. Siri declined to be interviewed, but said all of his petitions were filed on behalf of clients. Katie Miller, a spokeswoman for Mr. Kennedy, said Mr. Siri has been advising Mr. Kennedy but has not discussed his petitions with any of the health nominees. She added, "Mr. Kennedy has long said that he wants transparency in vaccines and to give people choice."
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Both comments generated concern—like the Friday reporting in the Times, which University of Alabama law professor and MSNBC columnist Joyce White Vance called "absolutely terrifying."
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Ryan Cooper, managing editor at The American Prospect, warned that "they want your kids dead."
Author and musician Mikel Jollett similarly said, "So if you're wondering if Donald Trump is trying to kill your kids, yes, yes he is."
Multiple critics altered Trump's campaign slogan to "Make Polio Great Again."
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) responded with a video on social media:
Without naming anyone, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), a polio survivor, put out a lengthy statement on Friday.
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