Schumer warns Kavanaugh and Gorsuch they will ‘pay the price’

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said the two Trump-appointed conservative Supreme Court justices “will pay the price” for “awful decisions” in abortion rights cases.

Schumer addressed justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh in front of a crowd at the Supreme Court and appeared to threaten Senate Republicans and the administration if the court voted in favor of the Louisiana abortion law that could result in the court revisiting the protections provided in the Roe v. Wade ruling.

“I want to tell you, Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch, you have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price,” Schumer said as the judges hear opening arguments on the case Wednesday. “You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.”

Schumer suggested there would be an electoral blowback in the general election after the court reaches a decision, which is expected in late June. 

“We will tell President Trump and Senate Republicans who have stacked the court with right-wing ideologies that you’re going to be gone in November, and you will never be able to do what you’re trying to do now ever, ever again,” Schumer said. “You’re gone in November.”

 The comments immediately drew criticism from GOP lawmakers, such as Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), who said Schumer was threatening the judges.  

“Did Senate Democrat leader Schumer just threaten two conservative justices?” he tweeted. “Where is the media?”

Did Senate Democrat leader Schumer just threaten two conservative justices? Where is the media?

“I want to tell you Justice Kavanaugh and Justice Gorsuch: You have unleashed a whirlwind, and you will pay the price”pic.twitter.com/MellytNNp5

— Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) March 4, 2020

Schumer spokesman Justin Goodman accused critics of deliberately misinterpreting the senator’s remarks.

“Sen. Schumer’s comments were a reference to the political price Senate Republicans will pay for putting these justices on the court, and a warning that the justices will unleash a major grassroots movement on the issue of reproductive rights against the decision,” Goodman said in a statement.

“For Justice Roberts to follow the right wing’s deliberate misinterpretation of what Sen. Schumer said, while remaining silent when President Trump attacked Justices [Sonia] Sotomayor and [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg last week, shows Justice Roberts does not just call balls and strikes.”

The Louisiana law in the case before the justices requires doctors who have the ability to perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital that is within 30 miles of the clinic where the doctor provides care. A nearly identical law from Texas was struck down by the court four years ago.

The case is the first major test of Roe v. Wade under the now-conservative majority Supreme Court. 

Updated at 5:53 p.m.