Skip to Main

October 6, 2019

The Hill: Pressley joins hundreds of activists calling for Kavanaugh impeachment: ‘I believe in the power of us’

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a leading voice on the push to impeach Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined hundreds of women outside the court on Sunday in protest of the anniversary of his confirmation. 

“Kavanaugh may have that seat —  for now —but what you, what we are fighting for is so much bigger than one insecure man blinded by his privilege,” Pressley said. 

“You are fighting for the liberation, injustice, for all of us. Because you know that our destinies are tied for generations we have softened our language and moderated our tone,” she added. “No more.” 

Pressley, who introduced a resolution mid-September calling for Kavanaugh’s impeachment, joined activists at the event organized by Women’s March, CPD Action and Demand Justice to “reclaim the court.” 

Pressley’s resolution is backed by 13 House Democrats pushing for Kavanaugh’s impeachment in the wake of a New York Times report corroborating a woman’s story of allegations against Kavanaugh, suggesting he lied under oath during his hearing. 

Kavanaugh has denied the allegations. 

“Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the court in spite of mounting evidence that he lied under oath to the Senate, that he sexually assaulted multiple women and that he’s ultimately unfit to be a justice of the United States Supreme Court,” said Katie O’Connor, senior counsel at Demand Justice. 

But activists are there to remind the court that “no matter how entitled” Kavanaugh feels “that seat belongs to us,” O’Connor said. 

Several women came forward with allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh, including Julie Swetnick who joined activists Sunday outside the court. 

Activists, surrounding Swetnick in solidarity, cheered “we believe you.” 

Pressley thanked survivors, and touched on her own experience surviving childhood rape and campus sexual assault, for speaking out last year and continuing to speak out to push for a more just world. 

“Together we will raise our voices to mobilize our communities and to legislate our destiny. I believe in the power of us,” she said. “And our fighting didn’t end when Brett Michael Kavanaugh put on a robe, and our fighting won’t end until there is a real investigation and justice for survivors.”

Activists also stressed the increased pressure of what they called Kavanaugh’s “sham confirmation” as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a case regarding a Louisiana abortion case. 

O’Connor said Kavanaugh could be the deciding vote on a case that may reverse Roe V. Wade. 

Maine Democrats came out to the event wearing t-shirts hitting Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine.) over her Kavanaugh vote. The shirts with an illustration of Collins’s face read “often disappointed, always disappointing.” 

Collins, who has said she supports abortion rights, defended her Kavanaugh vote last year by saying the justice told her he believes Roe V. Wade is settled law. 

Victoria Farris, from Long Beach, New York, came out to the protest with her children, 7 and 9. Her sons, Jack and Wells, wore the Collins shirt saying “in our house, you get consequences when you lie.” 

Kavanaugh and Justice Neil Gorsuch, another Trump appointee, have not ruled on such a case before and it’s unclear where the former circuit court judges will fall on the Louisiana case. 

The court is also set to hear a case that could deny gay and transgender Americans protection under a law denying employer discrimination as well as a case over gun rights.