Kavanaugh’s nomination threatens students’ opportunities, workers’ right to strong unions and every American’s access to health care

Washington, DC - President Donald Trump today announced that he would nominate Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill the forthcoming vacancy on the Supreme Court.

The next Supreme Court justice will have enormous power over the lives of all Americans, but especially public school students. The next justice could decide on whether it is constitutional to divert tax payers’ dollars away from public schools to fund private ones, whether educators have a voice on the job in advocating for themselves and their students, and whether all Americans, including children and families will have access to health care.

The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Lily Eskelsen García:

“President Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and their wealthy and powerful allies envision an America where public schools lose public funding to private, religious and for-profit schools, and educators lose their ability to advocate for themselves and their students. This is a world where affordable, quality health care is reserved for the few who can afford it. These ideologies have been at the core of the Trump administration’s playbook, and the majority of Americans continue to reject them. Yet, if Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed, Trump’s agenda would be more than a temporary departure from our ideals and values.

“The Supreme Court has already gone far enough in becoming a rubber stamp for President Trump’s political agenda, and Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination threatens a generational transformation of our government that will entrench laws favoring the wealthy and powerful. Just this past term, the Supreme Court, in 5-4 decisions, ruled against workers’ rights and strong unions, upheld the discriminatory Muslim travel ban, and allowed racial discrimination in the drawing of legislative districts.

“Judge Kavanaugh has long demonstrated that he will not be a fair-minded constitutionalist who will fight for equality and justice for all. In fact, before being nominated, he was vetted and approved by the Heritage Foundation — a corporate-funded organization that seeks to end the Affordable Care Act, Medicare and Medicaid; strives to weaken workers’ rights and to silence their voices in the workplaces; and advocates to replace our public schools with vouchers that funnel public funding to private religious schools. The Heritage Foundation approved Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination because he could be trusted to advance their plans.

“This is exactly why Judge Kavanaugh can’t be trusted to protect the interests of students and educators. He praised rulings and legal theories that justify allowing public money being funneled into religious institutions; and he has predicted that a future Supreme Court would uphold school vouchers that go to private religious schools. He has contorted the law and facts to side with companies against workers and unions, while also consistently voting to reverse rulings that protect workers’ safety, privacy, and rights to organize and bargain collectively; he has said that key provisions of the Affordable Care Act should be declared unconstitutional.

“Americans deserve a Supreme Court nominee who will apply the law fairly for all and not favor corporations, the wealthy and the powerful; Judge Kavanaugh is not such a nominee. We oppose this nomination and urge all senators to do the same.”