Advocacy groups plan offensive against Trump’s Supreme Court pick

Advocacy groups opposing President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee say they’re ramping up the pressure on key senators during this week’s congressional recess. 

“We are ramping up our work to show just how personal this fight is,” said Kelley Robinson, national organizing director of Planned Parenthood Action Fund, which says Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation would put abortion rights at risk.

Robinson said Planned Parenthood supporters will participate in more than 100 actions this week while senators are on recess, including voter education, letter writing and phone banking to target key senators, especially in Maine, Alaska and Nevada. 

Planned Parenthood also bought full page ads in the Portland Press Herald and Bangor Daily News in Maine, urging Sen. Susan Collins (R) to vote against Kavanaugh. 

Collins, who supports abortion rights and is a key vote in the confirmation battle, has not yet said whether she supports Kavanaugh. 

Protect Our Care, a pro-ObamaCare group, will launch new TV and radio ads in Maine, Alaska and Nevada warning that Kavanaugh’s confirmation would result in the reversal of the law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions. 

Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) are also key votes in the confirmation fight.

“The future of American health care for generations is once again going to come down to a handful of senators,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. 

Woodhouse is referring to a lawsuit targeting ObamaCare brought by Republican attorneys general. They argue the law is unconstitutional following Congress’s repeal of the individual mandate. 

The Justice Department refused to defend the law and said its protections for people with preexisting conditions shouldn’t stand. 

The case is still being litigated, but experts have doubts it will reach the Supreme Court. 

Still, Democrats have argued Kavanaugh would vote against it if it did. 

“Brett Kavanaugh was hand-picked to be a rubber stamp for President Trump’s anti-health care agenda, which is driving up costs and reducing health care for all of us,” Woodhouse said.

Advocacy groups will also hold a day of action Aug. 26 to oppose Kavanaugh’s confirmation, with events in every state.