230,000+ progressives urge DSCC not to fund any Senate Dems who help confirm Gorsuch
Petition signatures delivered at DSCC headquarters by progressive leadersWASHINGTON, D.C. – Progressive leaders delivered more than 230,000 petition signatures Monday urging the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee to publicly announce that it will not allocate campaign funds to Sens. Joe Manchin, Heidi Heitkamp, Joe Donnelly or any other Democratic senator who votes for or strikes a deal to advance the confirmation of right-wing extremist Neil Gorsuch.
The petition signatures were collected by CREDO, #AllofUs, Demand Progress, Friends of the Earth Action, Other98, Social Security Works and #VOTEPROCHOICE. Other organizations supporting the campaign include 350 Action, Center for Popular Democracy Action, Our Revolution, Presente Action, and UltraViolet Action.
“The Democratic Party claims to stand up for women, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Muslims, people of color, workers, the environment and the bedrock principles of our democracy,” said Heidi Hess, Senior Campaign Manager at CREDO. “If the DSCC intends to act on those values it will refuse to give financial support to Senator Manchin, Senator Heitkamp, Senator Donnelly or any other turncoat Democratic senator who collaborates with extremist Republicans to put Gorsuch on the Supreme Court.”
At the petition delivery event, representatives from Ultraviolet Action, #AllOfUs, Demand Progress, Friends of the Earth Action and #VOTEPROCHOICE spoke about their opposition to Gorsuch and the need for the DSCC to use its influence to pressure Democratic Senators not to advance his confirmation.
“The DSCC has spent months begging grassroots donors on their email list to contribute to save the Supreme Court from Trump. Chris Van Hollen cannot then turn around and dole out that money to Democrats who help Gorsuch win a lifetime appointment,” said Claire Sandberg, co-founder of #AllofUs and the new PAC WeWillReplaceYou.org. “Democrats who hand Trump the Supreme Court by voting for pro-corporate right-wing extremist Neil Gorsuch do not share our values and should be defunded.”
“The DSCC has repeatedly asked grassroots Democrats to donate their hard-earned money to back a filibuster of right-wing extremist Neil Gorsuch.” said Kurt Walters, Demand Progress Campaign Director. “Few things would undermine grassroots donors’ trust in the DSCC as much as sending that money to fund senators who help put Gorsuch onto the Supreme Court. Chris Van Hollen should commit to not send re-election money to any senator who votes to allow this pro-corporate radical a lifetime Supreme Court seat.”
“Any Democrat who rolls over and lets Mitch McConnell steal a Supreme Court seat for Donald Trump is dangerously out of touch with the popular resistance,” said Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth Action. “It’s no surprise that Trump has picked a right-wing extremist who would threaten our environment, our civil rights, and the foundations of our democracy. The DSCC should stand with the American people and refuse to support the re-election campaigns of Senate Democrats who support Gorsuch.”
Communications Contact: Erin Jensen, (202) 222-0722, ejensen@foe.org