October, 06 2020, 12:00am EDT
150 Civil Rights and Public Interest Groups Urge Senate to Oppose Amy Coney Barrett's Supreme Court Nomination
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, joined by 149 other organizations, today urged the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
WASHINGTON
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, joined by 149 other organizations, today urged the Senate to oppose the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. The letter reflects the broad range of problematic issues in Judge Barrett's record - from health care and reproductive rights to criminal justice and LGBTQ rights - underscoring the rights at risk with this Supreme Court vacancy. The letter also highlights the irresponsible and shameful process by which Leader McConnell is trying to rush this nomination through.
The Senate must thoroughly review Barrett's record and that requires an in-person hearing with all senators in attendance. However, that is not possible given the recent outbreak of COVID-19 on Capitol Hill and in the White House. Instead, the outbreak highlights the urgency of focusing on the health and safety of our country and getting the pandemic under control rather than rushing a nominee through an expedited confirmation process. There is no denying that the Senate's priorities have been wrong. The Senate should be passing legislation to address the devastating effects of this pandemic and not rushing through a nominee who could jeopardize health care access for millions of people.
The letter reads, in part, Barrett "is incapable of rendering equal justice under law," and if confirmed, she "would grant President Trump nearly unchecked power to continue the devastating assault on civil and human rights in America, and it would cement an ultraconservative supermajority that could jeopardize critical rights and freedoms for generations - the very rights and freedoms that Justice Ginsburg helped secure during her nearly three decades of service on the Court." The letter continues, this "will go down as one of the most infamous power grabs and acts of political hypocrisy in American history."
The letter states, "from President Trump's punitive and reckless condemnations of judges who rule against him to his repeated efforts to pack the federal courts with right-wing extremists, it is abundantly clear that the president is utterly unconcerned about the independence and reputation of the third branch of government." The people overwhelmingly want the next president to fill the vacancy and rushing to fill the seat before the election "will deeply tarnish the integrity and reputation of the Supreme Court" - and the legitimacy that stems from the public's faith that its decision-making is fair and impartial.
The letter emphasizes concerns about Barrett's record on:
Health Care Access
Reproductive Rights and Freedom
LGBTQ Rights
Employment Discrimination
Accountability for Sexual Assault
Criminal Justice
Immigrant Justice
Gun Safety
Lack of Respect for Judicial Precedent
Ideological Affiliations
The letter can be read in its entirety here.
This statement is signed by the following groups:
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
A Better Balance
Advocates for Youth
Alaskans Together for Equality
Alliance for Justice
Alliance for Youth Action
American Atheists
American Federation of Teachers
American Humanist Association
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Bend the Arc: Jewish Action
Caneiwalk
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Responsible Lending
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
Civil Liberties & Public Policy
Clearinghouse on Women's Issues
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Committee for a Fair Judiciary (CFJ)
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Community Catalyst
Daily Kos
Dallas Peace & Justice Center
Demand Justice
Demand Progress
Demos
Disability Rights Advocates
End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund
Environmental Working Group
Equal Justice Society
Equality Arizona
Equality California
Equality Federation
Equality Maine
Equality Montana
Equality North Carolina
Equality Texas
Equality Utah
Fair Wisconsin
Faith Action Network - Washington State
Family Equality
Feminist Majority Foundation
Fenway Institute
For Our Future Action Fund
FORGE, Inc.
Forum for Equality
Freedom Oklahoma
Free Press Action
Freedom From Religion Foundation
FreeState Justice
Garden State Equality Action Fund
Gender Justice
Georgia Equality
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
GLSEN
Housing Choice Partners
Human Rights Campaign
If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice
In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda
Indivisible
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Jewish Women International
Jobs With Justice
Juvenile Law Center
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Lambda Legal
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Lawyers for Good Government
The Leadership Conference Education Fund
League of Conservation Voters
Legal Aid at Work
Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition
Matthew Shepard Foundation
MomsRising
MomsRising Together
Montana Gender Alliance
Montana Human Rights Network
Muslim Advocates
NAACP
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)
NARAL Pro-Choice America
NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut
NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland
NARAL Pro-Choice Missouri
NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
NARAL Pro-Choice Texas
National Abortion Federation
National Action Network
National Association of Social Workers
National Center for Transgender Equality
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls
National Council of Jewish Women
National Domestic Workers Alliance
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Equality Action Team (NEAT)
National Homelessness Law Center
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Network of Abortion Funds
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for New Americans
National Partnership for Women & Families
National Women's Health Network
National Women's Law Center
Oil Change International
One Iowa Action
Organization for Black Struggle
Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans
People For the American Way
People's Action
Physicians for Reproductive Health
Population Connection Action Fund
Population Institute
Pride at Work
Progressive Turnout Project
Protect Our Care
RepresentUs New Mexico
Reproaction
SEIU
SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change
Silver State Equality-Nevada
SiX Action
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
SPLC Action Fund
Stand Up America
Step Forward Strategies
The Taifa Group
The Womxn Project
TIME'S UP Now
Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund
Treatment Action Group
True North Research
United Church of Christ, OC Inc.
United State of Women
United We Dream
URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity
Violence Policy Center
Voices for Progress
We Testify
Women's March
Women's Health Center of West Virginia
Women's Law Project
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. Through advocacy and outreach to targeted constituencies, The Leadership Conference works toward the goal of a more open and just society - an America as good as its ideals.
(202) 466-3311LATEST NEWS
Top G20 Ministers Back 2% Wealth Tax for Global Billionaires
"It is time that the international community gets serious about tackling inequality and financing global public goods."
Apr 25, 2024
Ministers from four major economies on Thursday called for a 2% wealth tax targeting the world's billionaires—who currently only pay up to 0.5% of their wealth in personal income tax—to "invest in public goods such as health, education, the environment, and infrastructure."
Fernando Haddad, Brazil's finance minister; Svenja Schulze, Germany's minister for economic cooperation and development; Enoch Godongwana, South Africa's finance minister; Carlos Cuerpo, Spain's minister of economy, trade, and business; and MarÃa Jesús Montero, Spain's first vice president and finance minister, made their case in an opinion piece for The Guardian.
"The argument behind such tax is straightforward: We need to enhance the ability of our tax systems to fulfill the principle of fairness, such that contributions are in line with the capacity to pay," they explained. "Persisting loopholes in the system imply that high-net-worth individuals can minimize their income taxes."
"What the international community managed to do with the global minimum tax on multinational companies, it can do with billionaires."
Brazil, Germany, and South Africa are all Group of 20 members while Spain is a permanent guest. The ministers noted that "Brazil has made the fight against hunger, poverty, and inequality a priority of its G20 presidency, a priority that German development policy also pursues and that Spain has ambitiously addressed domestically and globally."
"By directing two-thirds of total expenditure on social services and wage support, as well as by calibrating tax policy administration, South Africa continues to target a progressive tax and fiscal agenda that confronts the country's legacy of income and wealth inequality," they wrote.
The ministers continued:
It is time that the international community gets serious about tackling inequality and financing global public goods. One of the key instruments that governments have for promoting more equality is tax policy. Not only does it have the potential to increase the fiscal space governments have to invest in social protection, education, and climate protection. Designed in a progressive way, it also ensures that everyone in society contributes to the common good in line with their ability to pay. A fair share contribution enhances social welfare.
With exactly these goals in mind, Brazil brought a proposal for a global minimum tax on billionaires to the negotiation table of the world's major economies for the first time. It is a necessary third pillar that complements the negotiations on the taxation of the digital economy and on a minimum corporate tax of 15% for multinationals. The renowned economist Gabriel Zucman sketched out how this might work. Currently, there are about 3,000 billionaires worldwide. The tax could be designed as a minimum levy equivalent to 2% of the wealth of the superrich. It would not apply to billionaires who already contribute a fair share in income taxes. However, those who manage to avoid paying income tax would be obliged to contribute more towards the common good.
The five ministers cited estimates suggesting that "such a tax would potentially unlock an additional $250 billion in annual tax revenues globally—this is roughly the amount of economic damages caused by extreme weather events last year."
"Of course, the argument that billionaires can easily shift their fortunes to low-tax jurisdictions and thus avoid the levy is a strong one. And this is why such a tax reform belongs on the agenda of the G20," they added. "International cooperation and global agreements are key to making such tax effective. What the international community managed to do with the global minimum tax on multinational companies, it can do with billionaires."
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Except the billionaires, of course. "I don't want to be naive. I know the superrich will fight," Zucman added. "They have a hatred of taxes on wealth. They will lobby governments. They will use the media they own."
A few months ago, no one wanted to talk int. taxes, let alone on the super rich. Now we have a process (#G20), finance ministers (\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf7 \ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7 \ud83c\uddff\ud83c\udde6 \ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf8 & others) supporting it, \ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea in part & everyone agreeing that proceeds should help fund climate and dev: https://t.co/ZldF557pAL— (@)
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Oxfam America policy lead Rebecca Riddell declared Thursday that "extreme inequality stands in the way of solving our most urgent global challenges. We need to tax the ultrawealthy."
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Citing ample evidence of human rights abuses in U.S. immigration detention centers, 200 advocacy groups on Thursday demanded that the Biden administration reverse course on a planned expansion of detention facilities and said President Joe Biden's "further entrenching" of the government's reliance on detaining migrants marks "an utter betrayal" of his campaign promises.
The president's signing of a spending bill last month provided $3.4 billion for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), clearing the way for the agency to make space to jail 41,500 immigrants per day in facilities across the country.
After Biden campaigned on ending the use of for-profit detention centers, said the groups, he took office at a time when fewer than 15,000 people were being held in immigration detention facilities—which gave him "a remarkable opportunity to wind down a wasteful and abusive system."
But after the president's 2023 and 2024 budget requests signaled an intention of reducing detention funding—with ICE itself recommending that numerous facilities be closed due to "critical staffing shortages that have led to safety risks and unsanitary living conditions"—Biden last year requested supplemental detention funding as commentators and Republicans in Congress hammered the administration for allowing so-called "chaos" at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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The administration is seeking to expand a system, said the groups, in which the jails and prisons used have been found to "operate under insufficient standards."
The organizations cited a 2018 ACLU reportthat found inadequate medical care contributed to the deaths of more than half of the detained immigrants who died in custody between December 2015-April 2017; a 2021 case in which an LGBTQ+ man reported "physical and homophobic verbal abuse" at a facility in Louisiana; and the finding by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) that the use of solitary confinement in detention centers "regularly meets the United Nations' definition of torture."
Biden signed the spending bill two weeks after Charles Daniel, a 61-year-old migrant from Trinidad and Tobago, died at a detention center operated by the private contractor GEO Group after being held in solitary confinement for four years. ICE has placed people in solitary confinement over 14,000 times in the last five years, according to PHR, for an average of 27 days each; U.N. experts say exceeding 15 days in solitary confinement constitutes torture.
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Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, which tracks government data, found that as of April 7, more than 61% of ICE detainees have no criminal record, while "many more have only minor offenses, including traffic violations."
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"Please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies of your extremist and racist government," said the Vermont senator to Israel's prime minister.
Apr 25, 2024
Jewish U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued a scathing statement Thursday pushing back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's characterization of burgeoning protests on American university campuses as "antisemitic," declaring, "It is not antisemitic to hold you accountable for your actions."
"No, Mr. Netanyahu. It is not antisemitic or pro-Hamas to point out that in a little over six months, your extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000—70% of whom are women and children," said Sanders (I-Vt.). "It is not antisemitic to point out that your bombing has completely destroyed more than 221,000 housing units in Gaza, leaving more than one million people homeless—almost half the population."
"Antisemitism is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people," continued Sanders, who lost family members to the Nazi Holocaust. "But, please, do not insult the intelligence of the American people by attempting to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies of your extremist and racist government. Do not use antisemitism to deflect attention from the criminal indictment you are facing in the Israeli courts."
No, Mr. Netanyahu. It is not antisemitic or pro-Hamas to point out that in a little over six months your extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000 – 70% of whom are women and children.
You will not distract us from this immoral war. pic.twitter.com/oDaiyU4ipD
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) April 25, 2024
Sanders' statement came a day after Netanyahu
falsely described student protesters speaking out against Israel's catastrophic war on Gaza as "antisemitic mobs" and likened the demonstrations to "what happened in German universities in the 1930s."
"It has to be stopped," Netanyahu said of the campus protests, which have faced violent police crackdowns.
Students at Columbia, Princeton, the City College of New York, the University of Texas at Austin, Northwestern, and other schools nationwide are demanding that the institutions divest from any companies that are participating in or benefiting from Israel's war on Gaza and publicly support an immediate cease-fire.
On Wednesday, hundreds of UT Austin students walked out of their classrooms and marched to the main lawn of the campus before police officers with horses and riot gear
arrived on the scene, arrested dozens, and assaulted some protesters.
"One woman said she saw a large police officer place his entire body weight to detain a young woman protesting," The Texas Tribunereported. "Law enforcement was also seen kneeling on individuals' backs and necks, pulling their hair, and in one case punching a protester in the nose."
Jeremi Suri, a professor of history at UT Austin, toldAl Jazeera that contrary to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's claim, there was "nothing antisemitic" about Wednesday's protests.
"These students were shouting 'free Palestine,' that's all," said Suri. "They were saying nothing that was threatening. And as they were standing and shouting, I witnessed the police—the state police, the campus police, the city police—an army of police almost the size [of] the student group... many were carrying guns, many were carrying rifles, and then, within a few minutes, this group of police stormed into the student crowd and started arresting students."
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"It is not antisemitic to note that your government has obliterated Gaza’s civilian infrastructure—electricity, water, and sewage," said Sanders, who earlier this week voted against a foreign aid package that included $17 billion in additional U.S. military assistance for Israel.
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