The body of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in repose at the Supreme Court today, with arrangements to allow for public viewing despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Ginsburg’s frequent bouts with cancer had been well covered in the press over the past years. She was 87 when she died Friday.
“Ruth Bader Ginsburg was truly one of the giants of our nation,” wrote Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in his email to supporters “She was a trailblazer and an extraordinary jurist who devoted her life to advancing the causes of equality and justice. We are in her debt. I grieve for not only Justice Ginsburg’s family, but for our country and our collective loss.
“I know this will evolve in the days ahead, but the tragic reality is that we’re now confronted with a critical Supreme Court vacancy in the midst of a hugely consequential presidential election,” Booker continued. “Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell have already vowed to put forth a nominee and hold a Senate vote—a stunning display of hypocrisy from the position Senate Republicans held in 2016, when they refused to allow a vote on Merrick Garland because it was the final year of President Obama’s term.
“This could be the most consequential Supreme Court vacancy of our lifetimes,” Booker wrote. “And the stakes in this election just went from high to off the charts. The outcome this November now not only could affect the future of the Supreme Court, but the future of the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions, the future of Roe vs. Wade, and much more.
“I’ll have more to say about all of this in the days to come, but in the meantime, please make sure that your family, friends, and neighbors understand the importance of getting engaged in this election. Sitting on the sidelines is unacceptable.
“For this moment at least, I hope we all take some time to mourn. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a lifetime servant to the highest ideals of this country. It’s only appropriate that we properly honor and respect this great American hero while reflecting on her incredible legacy.
“I can only imagine that in this moral moment, she would want us to stand up and keep fighting for the ideals of equality and justice to which she devoted her life.
“May her memory be a blessing to us all,” Booker wrote.
Ginsburg was called the “Thurgood Marshall of gender equality law,” at the time of her nomination by President Clinton.
“Justice Ginsburg’s 27-year tenure on the Supreme Court was marked by a passion for the promises of our nation’s constitution and the rule of the law,” wrote NAACP President Derrick Johnson. “Her long, remarkable record includes her legendary opinions and powerful dissents that bent the arc of the moral universe towards justice.
“From the depths of our devastation we must find within us a fiery determination to carry on the righteous fight for equality and justice for all – because the progress Ruth Bader Ginsburg championed can be lost in a matter of months if we don’t take action right now.
“We must vote like our lives depend on it – because they do,” Johnson said. “Racial justice is the ballot. Gender equality is on the ballot. LGBTQ+ rights are on the ballot. Healthcare is on the ballot.”
