Whitehouse Statement on Breyer Retirement

Newport, RI – Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights, released the following statement on the planned retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer:

“I thank Justice Breyer for his dedication to the law and service to the American people, and wish him well in his retirement.  Throughout his distinguished career on the Court, Justice Breyer applied his remarkable intellect to safeguard justice and equality under law.  He will be remembered for guiding the Court in upholding protections for our environment, workers’ rights, voting rights, abortion, and much more, and for speaking out forcefully against some of the more shameful decisions of the Roberts era, like those unleashing dark money in our politics and hollowing out the indispensable Voting Rights Act.

“The right-wing donors who stocked the Court with its 6-3 supermajority will deploy massive dark-money firepower in an attempt to defeat any Biden replacement.  In service of that effort, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans will apply the same standard they did during the Trump Supreme Court nomination battles—the rule of ‘because we can.’  I hope the White House and our allies prepare for the fight ahead.  We cannot allow right-wing donor interests to tighten their grip on the Court any further.”