PAWTUCKET – Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC) Co-Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01), a member of the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement tonight:

“With this nomination, President Trump is rigging the system even more against working people and in favor of powerful corporate special interests. Before his nomination tonight, Judge Kavanaugh was vetted and approved by right-wing special interest groups that are close to this White House. That alone should tell us all we need to know about him.”

“On the federal bench, he’s taken the side of corporations against consumers, questioned the value of commonsense environmental protections, and argued against a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. If he is confirmed, it will mark a major victory for powerful special interests at the expense of everyone else.”

“During the campaign, President Trump made one explicit promise about his Supreme Court appointments - he would only select justices who will overturn Roe v. Wade. He openly discussed the possibility of ‘punishment’ for women who seek an abortion. Tonight, he’s trying to make good on those promises by nominating Judge Kavanaugh.”

“Democrats in the Senate should use every tool at their disposal to stop this nominee from being confirmed. The stakes are incredibly high. In my view, it would be an enormous mistake to confirm this nominee who will move the Supreme Court dramatically to the right and out of step with the prevailing views of most Americans for a generation. This is a fight worth having.”