WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday released the following statement after the United States Senate voted to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Supreme Court:

“Republicans just accomplished what they’ve been trying to do for years: weaponize the courts to accomplish their hugely unpopular agenda that they couldn’t get done in Congress,” said Murphy. “The first stop is to take health care away from millions of Americans in a case that will be seen by the Supreme Court in just over two weeks. Judge Barrett will now be seated on the Court in time to hear Trump and congressional Republicans’ lawsuit to eradicate the Affordable Care Act and end protections for 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, creating a humanitarian catastrophe in the middle of a global health pandemic. And next on the chopping block, it is clear, is a woman’s right to choose, gun violence prevention measures, and campaign finance reform. I am both infuriated and devastated on behalf of our country.”

Murphy has been an outspoken critic of the decision to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the Supreme Court before the next president is inaugurated, and has continuously emphasized the disastrous implications of confirming Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Last week, Murphy addressed Republicans’ decision to ram through Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court, and push their unpopular agenda on health care, guns, and campaign finance through the courts after they’ve failed legislatively. 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 took to the U.S. Senate floor last month to discuss the health care implications of her nomination. Murphy has also 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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