Today DL contributors will visit the Wilmington office of Senator Chris Coons and hand deliver the letter below. It will be signed by members of the DL direct protest subgroup.
I’m sure we will all be keeping a close eye on Senators Coons and Carper’s actions over the next few weeks. If they lose their nerve (as some reporting suggests they are considering) we must act.
The political action group Network Delaware has stood up a strategic nonviolent organizing committee. Please comment below if you will be willing to take part in some protest action against Coons and/or Carper if they vote for the Gorsuch nomination to progress to the full Senate. – Thanks
24 March 2017
Senator Coons,
We write you today in light of incredible and extraordinary circumstances. Under more stable political conditions we may understand your desire to strike some sort deal in the matter of the nomination of Judge Neil M Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. However, I think you would agree that this is not a stable and safe political environment. Considering Merrick Garland was not even given a proper hearing from your committee we strongly urge you to resist any effort to confirm Judge Gorsuch. This includes not providing your vote for cloture and voting no on confirmation should the filibuster be broken.Yesterday Politico reported that unnamed Democratic sources said that after minority leader Schumer announced a filibuster on this matter you were part of a group “of senators seeking a solution that would avoid” said filibuster. If this report is accurate we respectfully request you cease this approach.
We appreciate that this requested course of action could be described as “obstructionist.” This is unfortunate but necessary. The federal government is quickly deteriorating into a dangerous embarrassment. Total obstruction is the only appropriate response. This is what we expect.
More generally we encourage you to reflect on where this is going and what your role will be in it. Eventually, a hard line must be drawn. We suspect this fact hasn’t escaped you. Would you rather be a leader in this regard or turn up late to the party having to explain yourself?
Best regards,