Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is lashing out at what he calls an “extremist” Supreme Court.
“First on gun safety, then on abortion, and now on the environment – this MAGA, repressive, extremist Supreme Court is intent on setting America back decades, if not centuries,” Schumer said in a statement Thursday.
He continued, “The Republican-appointed majority of the MAGA Court is pushing back the country back to a time when robber barons and corporate elites have complete power and average citizens have no say.”
He went on:
“Just like last week’s dangerously misguided and abhorrent decisions on gun safety and abortion, the extremist MAGA Court’s ruling today in West Virginia v. EPA will cause more needless deaths – in this instance because of more pollution that will exacerbate the climate crisis and make our air and water less clean and safe. But make no mistake – the consequences of this decision will ripple across the entire federal government, from the regulation of food and drugs to our nation’s health care system, all of which will put American lives at risk, making it all the more imperative that Democrats soon pass meaningful legislation to address the climate crisis.”
Read the statement below:
Longer Schumer: "this MAGA, regressive, extremist Supreme Court is intent on setting America back decades, if not centuries.. the extremist MAGA Court’s ruling today in West Virginia v. EPA will cause more needless deaths.." https://t.co/NDxuFdvMDt pic.twitter.com/4H5BFmxYCM
— Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) June 30, 2022
Finally, Schumer claimed the “decades-long fight to protect citizens from corporate abuses is being wiped out in a single case by extremist MAGA judges.”
“Today’s decision adds to the number of dangerous decisions that have rightly tarnished the public’s confidence in the Court — every Republican who had a role in putting these six justices on the bench are complicit in the devastating impacts of its extremist decisions,” he added.
Schumer’s polemic against the court was set off by its decision in West Virginia v. EPA.
As The Associated Press notes, “The court said that the Clean Air Act does not give the Environmental Protection Agency broad authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants that contribute to global warming.”
It follows a trend of Democrats claiming that policies or decisions they do not like will lead to death.
Setting aside the fact that Chief Justice John Roberts could hardly be described as an “extremist MAGA” person, Schumer’s comments are just the latest in a disturbing round of attacks on the court from the Democrats.
Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade illegitimate. She also called for impeaching Justice Clarence Thomas and increasing the number of justices on the court. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) suggested people should defy the court. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called the court “extremist” and claimed it “works to punish and control the American people.”
And earlier on Thursday, President Joe Biden claimed the court has engaged in “outrageous behavior” and is “destabilizing.”
Perhaps passions will cool over time.
However, the use of “extremist” and “destabilizing” does not seem to be off-hand remarks. But rather, they appear to be building blocks to paint the court as politically motivated and in need of drastic reforms.
Rather than trying to follow the playbook of conservatives which worked for decades to establish the current conservative majority, there appears to be a push quickly bubbling up from the corners of the Democratic base to wield the levers of power to dramatically alter the court.
