Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has bravely come forward to tell her story of sexual assault at the hands of Brett Kavanaugh and CLUW believes her. Survivors make these intensely personal decisions in the face of an incredibly hostile climate to speak up.  Sexual assault is unlawful, and this allegation is directly relevant to determining Kavanaugh's character and fitness for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land.  See story here.

The Senate must delay the vote originally scheduled for Thursday, September 20th and take this assault seriously and investigate it thoroughly.

Elise Bryant, CLUW President, commented that, “It is time for all senators to stand up and be counted.  If Dr. Ford testifies she must receive the support Anita Hill was never afforded. Senators already have enough information to reject this nominee. Do the right thing now.”

CLUW has been on record from the outset in opposing Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination.

The Senate hearings that took place September 4th – 6th reaffirmed the travesty of the process with a multitude of documents never produced and the evasiveness of the nominee.

According to a post on Sept. 6, 2018 by Paul Gordon of People for the American Way, Kavanaugh believes (through an article he penned and a video where he was a participant) that:

• “A special prosecutor should be selected by the president himself, subject to Senate confirmation. Congress cannot empower a panel of judges to make the selection.
• The president should have the power to fire the special prosecutor without cause.
• If the president is the “sole subject” of a criminal investigation, it should be shut down.”

In addition:

• This is the most consequential Supreme Court vacancy in at least a generation, with serious threats to our health care system—including pre-existing condition protections, a woman’s constitutional rights and limits of presidential power, with cases working their way through our courts on all these critical issues.
• President Trump promised to appoint a Supreme Court justice who would overturn Roe v. Wade and who would undermine our country’s health care system. Everything in Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s record leads us to believe he will fulfill that promise.
• Brett Kavanaugh would favor the wealthy and powerful over the rights of everyday people.
• Republicans have made this the least transparent process in recent history through unprecedented actions to keep Judge Kavanaugh’s full record from the American people.

As a footnote to the CLUW website post here:

CLUW President Elise Bryant and member Laura Payne (UA) joined other working women’s advocates in a rally on August 22nd in front of the Supreme Court including AFL-CIO Secretary- Treasurer Elizabeth Shuler; Elissa McBride, Secretary-Treasurer, AFSCME; APALA Executive Director Alvina Yeh and Equal Pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, to name a few speakers, calling on the rejection of Brett Kavanaugh for Supreme Court Justice.

Lilly Ledbetter remarked that, “ I’m here today to say to tell the senators that a vote for Kavanaugh is a vote against equal pay.  A vote for Kavanaugh is a vote against #MeToo and #Times Up.  A vote for Kavanaugh is a vote against every working man and woman in our country.”

Laura Payne contributed, “Kavanaugh has fed his ego and Trump’s desires in support of the 1%ers and the Republican Party, which want nothing more than to see the United States become a “Right to Work” Country!”

The Coalition of Labor Union Women believes that women have to keep standing together and fighting back against this nomination.   We NEED to support these women, ourselves, and those with whom we work and live, by continuing to call 202.224.3121 and demanding our senators VOTE NO on this dangerous nomination.

l-r Laura Payne (UA), Lilly Ledbetter, Myra Warren, CLUW VP (NALC) and Pres. Elise Bryant in front of the Supreme Court 8/22