Change the Nominee, Not the Rule
Here's where things stand with Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, whose Committee vote is today and Senate vote is this week,: we need 5 of 8 undecided Democratic Senators to declare their intention to filibuster the ultra conservative judge. Our job is laid our for us:
- Convince all Democrats to join the filibuster against Gorsuch.
- Convince mainstream Republicans to NOT invoke the nuclear option.
Why would this be so bad? The nuclear option would abolish the filibuster, eliminating the checks & balances of the minority party. We already saw where that got us with Trump's cabinet confirmations & federal judges.
Giving one party complete power is NOT the way a democracy should work.
What you can do1. (2 minutes) Tweet mainstream Republican Senators to tell them to not invoke the nuclear option this week. Be polite. Here are some to start with: @SenJohnMcCain, @SenatorCollins, @LindseyGrahamSC
2. (5 minutes) Contact your senator, no matter where they stand, and share your thoughts on Gorsuch (no), the filibuster (yes), and the nuclear option (no). Use this tool, or see below for more info.
3. (1 hour) Join MoveOn Resist Trump Tuesday at your Senators' office tomorrow to show support in person for Dems blocking Gorsuch's confirmation, and to pressure Republican Senators not to invoke the nuclear option. Even if you live in a "liberal" state, your protests are seen by people around the country.
SCRIPTS FOR EVERYONE CONTACTING YOUR SENATOR
Find out how yours is voting & why
(202) 224-3121
Democratic Senators supporting the filibuster
"Thank you for standing strong against Gorsuch. I support you in the filibuster."
Democrats voting against Gorsuch but unclear about a filibuster:
Leahy (VT), Cardin (MD)
Democrats & Independents unclear about both Gorsuch and the filibuster:
Feinstein (CA), Bennet (CO), Coons (DE), King (ME), Menendez (NJ), Warner (VA), Tester (MT)
Democrats voting for Gorsuch and against the filibuster:
Donnelly (IN), Heitkamp (ND), Manchin (WV)
"Never before in our country's history has a President filled a Supreme Court seat while under FBI investigation. Moreover, Gorsuch is ultra conservative, consistently sides with corporations over citizens, and won't hold Trump accountable when his policies inevitably end up in the Supreme Court. I demand that you not only vote against him, but also join the filibuster. Your re-election is coming up and we'll remember that you're a traitor to your party & constituents. "
Republicans
"If Gorsuch cannot clear 60 votes, like the majority of other nominess in history, you need to change nominee, not the rules. The Republicans will be in the minority again, please don't change 230 years of Senate precedent and lose the power of filibuster to employ checks and balances in the future."