U.S. Senator Bob Menendez released the following statement after voting “no” on the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court:

“Instead of sending help to communities across America reeling from a deadly pandemic, Republicans are high-fiving each other for ramming through a Supreme Court nominee eight days before a presidential election when over 50 million Americans have already voted.  They are celebrating while COVID-19 continues to spread within our borders, sickening and taking American lives.  The Affordable Care Act now hangs in the balance while millions of Americans brace for its possible demise and the loss of their health coverage; for them it’s personal and a matter of life or death.

“Tomorrow, Americans will wake up to a 6-3 conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court that is built on Republican lies, deceit, hypocrisy and a craven power grab by Senate Republicans.  This will be the most extreme and nakedly partisan court in modern history, and it poses an unprecedented threat to the rights of women, workers, voters, consumers and LGBTQ Americans.

“My Republican colleagues have shown they will do whatever it takes to bypass democracy and force their unpopular agenda onto the American people, with no regard for the life and death consequences of their actions.

“At times like this, it is easy to become disenchanted, but I urge all Americans to resist that temptation and continue to make your voices heard, especially at the ballot box.  Exercise your First Amendment rights and send a message that this is unacceptable; this is not how our democracy is supposed to work.  I have faith that you will choose the kind of leaders who will put the interests of the people above themselves and begin the hard work of putting this nation back on a righteous and just path.”