The death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who for 27 years was a reliable pro-abortion vote, is a turning point for the nation in the fight to protect its most vulnerable — the unborn.
I had the privilege of speaking with President Trump about this momentous opportunity on behalf of Susan B. Anthony List’s network of 900,000 pro-life voters. We agree completely that a vote on a nomination must occur before the election. The precedent to get it done quickly is there: From 1975 to Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination, the average length of time to confirm a Supreme Court nominee was approximately 70 days. Ginsburg herself was confirmed in just 42 days. Sandra Day O’Connor’s confirmation took a little over a month.
Pro-life people should be greatly encouraged that the president is moving swiftly to fill this seat, as well as by the names under consideration. Earlier this month, Trump released an updated list of 20 potential nominees in addition to his existing list — and it is filled with all-stars. Two brilliant women jurists who are considered front-runners, Amy Coney Barrett and Barbara Lagoa, are no exception.
We know from polling and field experience that the future of the Supreme Court is one of the top issues that energize the pro-life base. Then-candidate Trump’s promise to appoint judges in the mold of the late Antonin Scalia, who respect the Constitution and the right to life, was instrumental in mobilizing pro-life voters — and with more than 200 judges confirmed to the federal bench, the president has delivered.
Pro-life Senate leaders are equally committed to getting President Trump’s judges confirmed. Through two intense battles to confirm Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, and their pro-life colleagues have stared down the radical abortion lobby with unwavering resolve.
I vividly remember being present in the chamber during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. Pro-abortion vitriol was palpable, and morale was low. Then, something remarkable happened. I was a firsthand witness to heroic acts that restored our hope and changed the course of history.
At the crucial moment, most Republicans saw clearly what was at stake and acted accordingly. The Democrats’ most vicious campaign of character assassination since Clarence Thomas failed to stop Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
This time, we can expect the most desperate attacks yet because with Roe v. Wade in the balance, the abortion lobby has everything to lose. The next justice will either advance our society toward that radiant day when all children are protected and their mothers surrounded with compassionate support or further mire us in the dismal night of Roe.
SBA List is proud to stand with Trump, his nominee, and pro-life Senate leaders in this battle. Over the past three years, the Pro-Life Court Coalition, which we spearheaded, has made nearly 50 stops across nine states rallying grassroots support for Trump’s nominees. And then, we worked to defeat four incumbent Democrat senators who voted to block Kavanaugh.
In 2020, our ground team is well on the way to contacting 7 million voters on a mission to reelect Trump and secure a strong pro-life Senate majority. Our army of grassroots activists stands ready to fight for the confirmation of this justice and any others Trump has the opportunity to appoint during a second term.
Republican senators must steel themselves for the fight now, and they absolutely must stand united.
It is understandable that pro-life advocates feel wary after Chief Justice John Roberts’s betrayal in June Medical Services v. Russo, one of many by Republican-appointed justices over the years, but this is all the more reason to fight to ensure that Trump gets four more years to fill vacancies so we can solidify a pro-life majority on the court.
Trump rightly noted that pro-abortion Democrats would do the same thing in his position. Indeed, they have already stated that “nothing is off the table,” including court-packing or even impeaching the president a second time. There is no question that a President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would back an extremist like themselves to help impose their agenda of abortion on demand up to the moment of birth, and even infanticide, paid for by taxpayers.
With victory so close, failure to act would be the moral and political mistake of our lifetimes. We urge Senate Republicans to be bold and stand strong. Pro-life people depend on you, and so are countless children waiting to be born.
Marjorie Dannenfelser is president of the national pro-life group Susan B. Anthony List. She serves as national co-chair of the Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition and is the author of “Life is Winning: Inside the Fight for Unborn Children and Their Mothers.”
