October 27, 2020 IN: National, Press Room
SEARAC Statement on the Confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court

Header photo by Fibonacci Blue
October 27, 2020
With COVID-19 currently reaching new daily record numbers of cases in the United States and more than 200,000 lives lost, it is shameful that Senate Republicans would prioritize a rushed confirmation of Justice Barrett to the Supreme Court rather than a much-needed financial aid package for the millions of Americans who are feeling the impacts of this pandemic. Further, Justice Barrett’s confirmation occurring so close to the election flies in the face of statements made previously by Sens. Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham, and others, who declared that they would not vote on Judge Merrick Garland in 2016.
In addition to our concerns about the process of this confirmation, SEARAC also opposes Justice Barrett’s confirmation because of her ideology. “The confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court threatens civil rights in this country for a generation,” said Katrina Dizon Mariategue, Acting Executive Director of SEARAC. “Her previous decisions all signal her willingness to rule regressively on immigration, abortion rights, LGBTQ+ issues, and the Affordable Care Act in the highest court of the land. Southeast Asian Americans will be profoundly impacted by her confirmation, and we are heartbroken over this process and this confirmation vote.”
We share our communities’ rage, grief, and anxiety around this confirmation, but we urge action: by voting in the 2020 election, we can ensure that our representatives in Congress and in the White House reflect the will of Southeast Asian Americans.