Washington, D.C. – Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued the following statement on the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
“Justice Stephen Breyer has served with distinction for nearly 30 years. I thank him for his service and his commitment to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution.
President Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court will be put forward at a critical time. The six Republicans on the Supreme Court are running roughshod over the rights of all Americans, overturning decades of precedent for no reason other than they now have the votes.
In just one year of a 6-3 court, the Republicans have gutted remaining Voting Rights Act protections that were approved overwhelmingly by Congress. They have also usurped the authority of experts to undermine the federal government’s ability to combat a pandemic that has killed more than 800,000 Americans.
Next, they are poised to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate women’s right to control their own bodies. They are chomping at the bit to allow big corporations to poison our air and water. And that’s just the start.
We need to be clear-eyed about what’s happening at the Supreme Court. I look forward to considering President Biden’s nominee, who I am confident will be committed to upholding the Constitution and protecting the rights of all Americans.”
A web version of this release is available here.