We are deeply disappointed that a majority of Senators have agreed to advance Brett Kavanaugh to final vote in the face of so many serious concerns and unanswered questions, but this fight is not over. We continue to hope that there will be other Senators who, like Senator Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota, will ask themselves what sending this type of devastating message to sexual violence survivors will do to the society they have taken an oath to serve. Lambda Legal continues to implore all Senators to listen to their consciences and vote 'no' when the final up-or-down vote occurs on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court. Every Senator must decide whether they will be able to look in the mirror every day after the final vote and know in their hearts that they have done what is right for the county.

This nomination process has been tainted from the outset by the unprecedented effort to conceal this nominee’s record in order to thwart the kind of careful consideration and thoughtful deliberation that should precede any decision on a lifetime appointment, and certainly for an appointment to the highest court in the land. The FBI investigation called for last week was rushed and manipulated by political forces to ensure that it would do nothing more than provide a fig leaf for those Senators determined to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court no matter what. Sadly, the scorched earth tactics on display today and throughout this process have brought us to this moment of extreme peril to our democracy and our values. In their haste to weaponize the Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues, Republicans have diminished the Senate and have abandoned their constitutional duty to provide meaningful advice and consent.

It is not too late to turn back and take our country off this dangerous course. So much is at stake – the safety and security of LGBT people and their families, the ability to make highly personal decisions about one’s body, including the right to obtain an abortion, the progress we have made in guaranteeing access to affordable health care, and so many other issues that will affect us for generations. We urge everyone fighting for what is right to not give up and continue calling your Senators, because only by continuing to make our voices heard will we beat back this terrible threat to our country and our values.