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Friday 28 January 2022

Dems see high court pick as chance to revive 2022 prospects

Continued from Front Catherine Cortez Masto,
D-Nev., who faces a chal-
Democrats are trying to re- lenging reelection test in a
group with an eye on main- state where voters largely
taining a tenuous grip on support abortion rights.
Congress after November’s It’s much the same dynam-
midterm elections, and ic in New Hampshire for
picking Breyer’s replace- Democratic Sen. Maggie
ment offers a chance to Hassan.
pause from those bruising “Justice Breyer has built
battles. Democrats hope an impressive legacy on
that with Biden fulfilling a the Supreme Court, includ-
campaign pledge to ap- ing key votes to uphold a
point the first Black woman woman’s right to choose
as a justice, they can ener- her own destiny and ensure
gize a dejected base, par- that the Affordable Care
ticularly Black voters whose Act remains the law of the
support will be crucial in land,” Hassan said. “When
the fall campaign. the time comes, I will re-
“This is a huge opportunity view President Biden’s next
for us,” said Aimee Allison, Supreme Court nominee as
founder of She the People, part of the Senate’s confir-
a national organization that mation process.”
encourages women of col- And while the politics may
or to vote. “It turns out that initially benefit Democrats,
appointing a Black woman Republicans wasted no
(to the Supreme Court) at time in seizing on the loom-
this moment could help to ing Supreme Court vacan-
make up for the policy and cy to raise campaign cash.
political losses that we’ve Soon after news of Breyer’s
seen recently.” pending retirement was
“It’s a win,” Allison said. released, the Republican
Among the names be- National Committee blast-
ing circulated as potential ed out a fundraising email
nominees are California announcing the creation
Supreme Court Justice Le- of an “Official Defend the
ondra Kruger, U.S. Circuit Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., joined at right by Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Court Fund.”
Judge Ketanji Brown Jack- speaks to reporters after a Democratic policy meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 14, 2021. “Make NO mistake — Biden
son, prominent civil rights Associated Press will pick a nominee that is
lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill and U.S. pro-abortion, anti-gun and
District Judge J. Michelle publican unites to oppose ity in 2022,” said Florida Sen. paced Trump’s in saying it anti-religious liberty,” the
Childs in South Carolina, the nominee, the president Rick Scott, who leads the was an important factor, GOP warned.
whom Biden has nominat- would need to secure sup- Senate GOP’s campaign even if not the top, 62% vs. Still, there was a palpable
ed to be an appeals court port from every Democrat arm. “I predict that (Senate 50%. sense of relief and opti-
judge. Childs is a favorite in the chamber. That could Democratic leader) Chuck Heading into the 2022 elec- mism among Democrats,
of Rep. James Clyburn, D- potentially revive recent Schumer and whoever is tion, the court was most ex- including those who have
S.C., who made a crucial fights in which moderate running the White House pected to play a role in the grown frustrated with the
endorsement of Biden just Democratic Sens. Joe Man- will force all Democrats to fight for the Senate major- slow pace of change un-
before South Carolina’s chin of West Virginia and obey and walk the plank in ity, where Democrats have der Biden.
presidential primary in 2020. Kyrsten Sinema bucked the support of a radical liberal the slimmest possible edge “It’s not a silver bullet, but
The exact timing of Breyer’s party and defeated its pri- with extremist views.” now. Vulnerable Demo- my God, this is a big deal,
retirement remains unclear, orities. For years, the potential of cratic incumbents from man,” said Young Demo-
but Senate Democrats who Manchin made clear he shifting the court has ani- New Hampshire to Nevada crats of America President
control the confirmation would scrutinize the pick. mated Republican voters, seized on the upcoming Quentin Wathum-Ocama,
process plan to begin the “I take my Constitutional many of whom are moti- confirmation debate, high- who has been critical of
proceedings as soon as responsibility to advise and vated by the goal of erod- lighting abortion rights in the Biden presidency. “This
possible. consent on a nominee to ing abortion rights. But as particular. is huge for so many reasons.
Despite that energetic the Supreme Court very se- the court has swung to the In December, the court’s It’s going to get people ex-
push, there are risks for riously,” he said in a state- right, it has become a pri- conservative majority sig- cited.”
Biden and his party that ment. “I look forward to ority for Democratic voters, naled openness to dramat- Democrats need all the
could jeopardize any ap- meeting with and evalu- too. ic restrictions on abortion help they can get.
parent political advantag- ating the qualifications of In the 2020 presidential and may even overturn JB Poersch, who leads a su-
es born of an election-year President Biden’s nominee campaign, supporters of the landmark Roe v. Wade per PAC aligned with Sen-
Supreme Court vacancy. to fill this Supreme Court va- Biden and then-President precedent. A decision is ex- ate Democrats, said the
Replacing Breyer will not ul- cancy.” Donald Trump were about pected by the summer. nomination fight may help
timately change the court’s Republicans were quick to as likely to say Supreme “The next justice must un- motivate Democratic vot-
6-3 conservative majority, signal that they would cast Court nominations were derstand how their deci- ers — especially if Republi-
which has stymied Biden on the nominee as too far to “the single most important sions impact the Nevadans cans try to interfere with the
major priorities including his the left no matter the nomi- factor” in their vote, with I fight for every day, and nomination process — but
vaccine and testing man- nee. roughly 2 in 10 saying so, that is especially true when there are no guarantees.
date for large businesses. “The Democrats know they according to AP VoteCast. it comes to women’s repro- “We have no room for er-
And if every Senate Re- will lose the Senate major- But Biden’s voters out- ductive rights,” said Sen. ror,” he said.q