For Immediate Release: September 25, 2020
Contact: Lee Morrow, [email protected], 202-601-7871

Catholic Lobby Rejects the Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett
Sr. Simone: “As a Catholic Sister, let me be clear: Catholics will not be bought off by a predetermined vote against Roe v. Wade.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In response to news reports of President Trump’s planned nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to become a Supreme Court Justice, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice announces its opposition to Judge Barrett. Years of decisions by Judge Barrett on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals prove that she does not hold all life to be sacred, as we are instructed to do by Catholic Social Teaching and Pope Francis.

The next Justice who fills the seat of Ruth Bader Ginsburg must advocate for the equally sacred issues that Pope Francis calls all people of good faith to defend: the vulnerable, those in poverty, and immigrants. Until an appointee is presented who can meet this call, as Justice Ginsburg did, the Senate must not consider filling the vacancy.

To move forward with the nomination of Judge Barrett weeks before a Presidential election is an assault on our democratic system. The people and their next chosen President must decide on the next Supreme Court Justice. Catholic voters will not accept a partisan power grab by President Trump, Senator McConnell, and his Republican colleagues.

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director of NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice said:

“As a Catholic Sister who tries to follow the teachings of Pope Francis, I cannot support Amy Coney Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court. I know that Judge Barrett shares my faith, but her past words and actions prove that she does not hold all life to be sacred. As a judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Barrett voted to allow employment discriminations against the elderly, attacked the protections of the Affordable Care Act, and even tried to uphold the wrongful conviction of a man based on faulty evidence. Shockingly, she does not hold the basic principle of stare decisis that provides for continuity in our Constitutional system. These are not the opinions of a nominee worthy of a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.

“President Trump appears to be courting the Catholic vote with this nomination. Judge Barrett was chosen for one reason: she firmly and clearly opposes abortion and the settled ruling of Roe v. Wade. As a Catholic Sister, let me be clear: Catholics will not be bought off by a predetermined vote against Roe v. Wade. It is insulting to act as if my faith boils down to one issue. Catholics cannot support judges or politicians who blatantly ignore the breadth of Catholic Social Teaching on women’s rights, voting rights, immigrant’s rights, health care, environmental protections, and so much more.

“This crass partisan power grab by the President, Senator McConnell, and his Republican colleagues is an insult to our democracy. It is an assault on our democratic system to rush a vote while they cling to power. The people and their next chosen President must decide on the next Supreme Court Justice. If Senator McConnell and President Trump think that pushing this through will help them win Catholic votes, then they don’t know Catholics. Unlike these politicians focused on taking power at all costs, we love our country more than political power. We Catholics will vote for integrity, justice, and the common good.”

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NETWORK Lobby – advocates for justice inspired by Catholic Sisters – educates, organizes, and lobbies for economic and social transformation. They have a nearly 50-year track record of lobbying for critical federal programs that support those at the margins and prioritize the common good. www.networklobby.org