AAUW Statement on the Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court

The following is a statement by AAUW CEO Kimberly Churches:

When the time is right, it is AAUW’s fervent hope that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg be replaced with a justice who, like her, can be an independent voice and fierce, fair-minded advocate for American women and their families.

The time is not right.  And Amy Coney Barrett is not that person.

With so much at stake, it is more essential than ever that the nominee get a comprehensive and thorough vetting. Given that the election is already underway, with hundreds of thousands of ballots already cast, there is insufficient time to hold the kind of thoughtful and deliberative hearings that the nominee — and the American people — deserve. As such, AAUW stands staunchly against filling this court vacancy until after the next president is inaugurated in January.

In addition to the issues we see with the rushed process, we are also adamantly opposed to the selection of Judge Barrett to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat. While we agree that it’s essential to choose a woman for this powerful and distinguished role, women are not interchangeable. We need a justice who is committed to safeguarding our rights and advocating for AAUW’s priorities with the track record to prove it. Judge Barrett is not the right person for the lifetime appointment. She is on the wrong side of many of the issues that are central to AAUW’s mission of advancing gender equity. Her record of curtailing reproductive freedoms and access to health care,  undermining Title IX by making it more difficult for female students to battle sex discrimination in schools, and weakening protections for workers does not bode well in ensuring that we have the advocate we need on the highest court in our land.