WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Thursday released the following statement after the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court:

“Republicans’ decision to bend the Senate’s rules to advance Judge Barrett’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court less than two weeks before the election shows just how far they’re willing to go to take health care away from millions of Americans in the midst of a global pandemic. It’s clear their intention in voting to seat Judge Barrett so quickly is to invalidate the entire Affordable Care Act. Her nomination exemplifies the GOP’s decades-long crusade to use the courts to accomplish what they can’t legislatively,” said Murphy. “Senate Republicans reneged on their pledge from four years ago to not appoint a Supreme Court Justice during an election year, and this rushed political process has been illegitimate from the start.”

Murphy has been outspoken on Judge Barrett’s nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States. Last month, Murphy took to the U.S. Senate floor to discuss the health care implications of her nomination. Murphy launched a campaign to invite people across Connecticut to share their health care stories and describe how they would be impacted if the Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act succeeded. Murphy has held numerous roundtables across Connecticut discussing how Judge Barrett’s confirmation would impact people’s lives, and has also been outspoken on Judge Barrett’s radical views around gun violence prevention.

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