Donald Trump’s nomination of Neil Gorsuch for the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court is anything but normal. Throughout his career as a judge, Gorsuch has demonstrated a cruelty towards women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, people with disabilities, and more.
He has a record of siding with corporations that deny women access to birth control coverage, allowing discrimination against women in the workplace, and has claimed that women manipulate their employers if they are or plan to be pregnant.
Now that a right-wing, white supremacist, sexual predator is in the Oval Office, Republicans are doing everything they can to force the confirmation of Judge Gorsuch who will allow the Trump administration to run amok. This is not “politics as usual.” This is a fight. And it’s time for Democrats to grow a spine and stand up to the Republican attacks on women and our democracy.
Strategy
The U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on the confirmation of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court before Friday, April 7, 2017 when they go on a two week break.
There is still time to stop this if we act fast. Some Senate Democrats have committed to blocking Judge Gorsuch’s confirmation, but they need a few more to join. As of April 1, five key Democratic senators and one independent have not yet publicly stated that they will join the resistance to Gorsuch–Senator Feinstein (CA), Senator Bennet (CO), Senator Coons (DE), Senator King (ME), Senator Warner (VA), and Senator Leahy (VT). If just a few of these senators agree to stand up against the Republican attacks on women, they can prevent the vote from happening and block Trump’s extreme nominee.
Your senator cares what you think, and they care about their image. That’s why we’re delivering petition signatures and a spine to these senators.
Logistics
Here are some tips to make your petition and spine replica delivery super successful and newsworthy. First though, if you haven’t already, let us know you’re planning to host.
Before your event:
- Decide on the logistics–look up the exact location of your senator’s office, and decide what time you’ll do your delivery. We suggest sometime between 11am and 2pm on Tuesday, April 4th, because that’s a good time to get media and it’s towards the beginning of the week, before they are likely to vote.
- Once your details are finalized, post your event in our online system. That way we can invite other UltraViolet members to join you.
- Invite your friends and, if you’re on facebook, make a facebook event as well to help with recruitment.
- Consider asking someone to co-host with you–it’s always better to have another person helping!
- Check in with UltraViolet staff (email us at events@weareultraviolet.org if you haven’t heard from us yet) so we can send you the petition signatures and prop spine to deliver.
During your event:
- Gather with any other supporters who arrive, introduce yourself, and decide who will hand deliver the petitions and the spine. If you are able to meet with people ahead of time to decide then even better.
- Deliver your talking points to any media present and then walk into the office. Let them know why you are there and why this matters to you. It’s best to use your own words, but here are some points to help you:
- This is a lifetime seat, and the last recourse people have against the injustices of the Trump administration and onwards. The senator can’t allow the Court to tip against women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, disabled people, and more.
- Gorsuch has a steady record of siding with corporations who want the freedom to discriminate. He will endanger women’s rights in the workplace, the Affordable Care Act, access to abortion, LGBTQ people, and allow the Trump administration to run amok.
- Gorsuch is a danger to the rights of generations of vulnerable people. He has repeatedly tried to gut birth control coverage. He claims women manipulate their employers if they are, or plan to be, pregnant. He has consistently ruled against the rights of people with disabilities.
- A vote for Gorsuch reverses the progress made the last eight years. Block him and encourage your colleagues to block him.
- Make sure you get several good photos of the delivery–that way we can share them with the senator themselves and post them on social media to get even more attention.
- Tweet at @UltraViolet and at your senator if you (or anyone else at the event) uses Twitter
After your event:
- Send photos to events@weareultraviolet.org.
- Follow up with your senator the next day to ask if they have made a decision.
- Get ready for the April Congressional Recess, April 10-21! Your members of Congress will be back in state and it will be the perfect time to either demand that they block Gorsuch or, if the vote is over, thank or chastise them for their vote.
Thank you for organizing to stop this extremist.
Questions? Ideas? Contact us at events@weareultraviolet.org.