RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE AND LEGACY OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG; Congressional Record Vol. 166, No. 172
(Extensions of Remarks - October 02, 2020)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E924]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE AND LEGACY OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG
______
HON. ANDRE CARSON
of indiana
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 2, 2020
Mr. CARSON of Indiana. Madam Speaker, I rise today to join my
colleagues in recognizing the lifetime of service and the legacy of
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
``Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that
will lead others to join you.'' This insight came from the late
Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg and has never been more applicable than
today. The Notorious RBG was a fighter for all and a defender of rights
until the very end, showing us all the true definition of what it means
to be a great leader. Throughout her career she fought to extend
fairness and protections for countless marginalized groups in this
country.
As a father to young girl and a passionate defender of women's
rights, I stand before you to reflect on the legacy that Justice
Ginsburg has left on all generations today, and in the years to come.
In 1993, Justice Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court with
unanimous support from the Senate and became only the second woman ever
to serve on the highest court in our land. She brought both passion and
brilliance to her decisions, always with the best interests of
Americans on her mind while upholding our Constitution.
We have a duty to honor Justice Ginsburg by continuing her fight to
advance the progress she tirelessly worked for during her entire
career. In a time when my constituents and fellow Americans are
urgently voicing their need for unity and fairness, we must demand the
very things Justice Ginsburg fought for so fiercely: equal health care,
reproductive rights, equal rights, LGBTQ rights, workers' rights,
voting rights, civil rights, and much more.
So much is at stake with the Supreme Court vacancy her passing has
created. The Supreme Court is already scheduled to hear arguments the
week after the election on the Trump Administration's reckless push to
destroy the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That means, in the middle of
this unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than
200,000 Americans, the President and his allies are trying to pack the
Supreme Court to take away the health care of millions of Americans.
This president has promised that his Supreme Court nominee will
dismantle the ACA, so we must take him at his word.
President Trump and Senate Republicans are ignoring the dying wishes
of Justice Ginsburg, the opinion of most Americans, and years of
precedent in a desperate bid to pack the courts to rubberstamp their
reckless agenda. This is an insult to our Democracy and a threat to
every American. There should be no consideration of a replacement for
Justice Ginsburg before the next president is sworn in.
We must act now, after Justice Ginsburg's passing, but before a new
justice is appointed to roll back her legacy and our rights. We must
take our shared grief and use it as turning point, drawing on her
example as a courageous inspiration for us to all rise up and make her
proud. We must fight for the rights of those who have been ignored or
forgotten for too long. Justice Ginsburg fought and worked hard until
the very end, showing us all that when love for Country and
Constitution runs deep, there is no denying justice.
I urge my Senate Colleagues to honor both her and the American
people's wishes.
____________________