Advocates from Coast to Coast Oppose Trump Nominee
With polls showing that Brett Kavanaugh heads into his nomination hearings with the weakest approval ratings since doomed nominee Harriet Miers, it’s clear that the ground-game urging Kavanaugh’s defeat is working. Since day one of his nomination, health care advocates geared up in opposition to Kavanaugh, an activist judge who was hand-picked to rubber-stamp President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ war on health care.
Here are some highlights, with more activity on the ground happening today.
In Alaska, Protect Our Care was joined by health care advocates, Alaska Native leaders, and former Alaska Superior Court Judge John Reese to urge Sen. Lisa Murkowski to do what is best for Alaska and reject a justice who won’t protect Alaskans’ care.
- Anchorage Daily News: Protesters rally at Murkowski’s office over Supreme Court pick
- KTVA: Alaskans rally against Trump nominee before choice is made public
- KTUU: Activists call on Lisa Murkowski to carefully vet new Supreme Court nominee
In Maine, Protect Our Care was joined by the Maine Women’s Lobby and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England in calling on Sen. Susan Collins to preserve protections for people with pre-existing conditions and women’s access to health care.
- Washington Post: With Trump’s nominee announced, the battle for the court begins
In Arizona, Jeff Jeans, a cancer survivor joined state Rep. Athena Salman, and representatives from Planned Parenthood and ACLU Arizona urged Senator Flake to stand up for Arizonans’ care.
- Arizona Republic: Arizona groups speak about Supreme Court vacancy, Roe v. Wade
In Montana, Protect Our Care was joined by NARAL Pro-Choice Montana and Anna Whiting Sorrell, an Indian health care leader and former director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, in sounding the alarm about Kavanaugh’s appointment.
- Missoula Current: Missoula women’s, pro-choice groups decry Trump’s Supreme Court pick
In Nevada, Protect Our Care and Laura Packard, a health care advocate living with cancer, Cyndy Hernandez of NARAL Pro-Choice Nevada, and Sam Shaw of SEIU Nevada Local 1107 urged Sen. Dean Heller to stand up and protect Nevadans’ health care.
In North Dakota, a media tour with former Congressman Earl Pomeroy and former Acting Deputy Secretary of the Health and Human Services Mary Wakefield highlighted the the harms tens of thousands of North Dakotans would face if a rubber stamp on Trump’s anti-health care agenda reaches the Supreme Court.
- Minot Daily News: Dems Rally Grassroots on Healthcare
- Grand Forks Herald: Pomeroy and Wakefield Effort to Keep Obamacare Protections
- WDAY Newswire: Pomeroy Questions Lawsuit
- Jamestown Sun: North Dakota Leaders Effort to Keep Protections
- High Plains Reader: War on Health, Death by a 1000 Cuts
- Fargo Forum: Former ND National Leaders Effort to Keep Obamacare
- WDAY TV (ABC): ND Former Insurance Commissioner Questions Major Lawsuit
- Rapid City Journal: Coverage at risk for those with pre-existing conditions
- Dakota Free Press: A rising tide lifts all boats
- Watertown Public Opinion: Make informed decisions
In Ohio, Protect Our Care Ohio joined with Innovation Ohio, the Physicians Action Network, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio highlighted the current and long-term threats to health care under a conservative Supreme Court.
In Tennessee, Protect Our Care was joined by a coalition of concerned citizens including Jen Yamin, the mother of a son with pre-existing conditions, Kristen Grimm, the mother of child with special needs, and Anna Carella, Co-Chair of Healthy and Free Tennessee, outside Sen. Bob Corker’s Nashville office.
In West Virginia, Protect Our Care advocates went on the record to make it clear that they want their senators to stand up health care.