After two full days of questioning, it is absolutely clear that Kavanaugh is ready and eager to both uphold and construct barriers to abortion access if confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. He is primed to be the final vote that overturns decades of protections for women.

“We are in the midst of one of the most high-stake periods in American history for democracy, for equality, and especially for people’s control over their reproductive healthcare,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority. “Like Justice Antonin Scalia, Judge Kavanaugh is a Constitutional Originalist, which means he thinks the Constitution and its Amendments should only be applied today as they were interpreted when first written. This position is devastating for women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals.”

Smeal continued, “After reviewing his judicial and political record, and after watching his testimony for two days, there is not a doubt in my mind that Judge Kavanaugh is a threat to affirmative action, gun regulations, restrictions on executive power, environmental protections, educational equity, and abortion access.”

Almost every single time a Senator questioned Kavanaugh on the precedent set in Roe v. Wade, he pivoted to a discussion on Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a case that permitted the government to place serious restrictions on abortion access.

One of the most damning moments of Kavanaugh’s testimony came when he was asked to explain why he had attempted to block a 17-year-old immigrant being held in a government funded shelter from accessing an abortion. Claiming that she was incapable of making personal health decisions because she was 17, Kavanaugh tried to force her to carry a pregnancy against her will despite the fact that she had already gone before a Texas judge who had granted a judicial bypass, or permission for an abortion.

That Kavanaugh thought he knew what was best for the young woman despite her wishes is the exact type of government intrusion into abortion access that people fear. Kavanaugh was more than willing to construct even more barriers to abortion access than already exist.

We call on all Senators to strongly oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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