Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., on Tuesday took the unusual step of formally pledging to appoint pro-abortion judges should she win the White House next year.
“I’m announcing that as president, I will only nominate judges — including Supreme Court justices — who will commit to upholding Roe v. Wade as settled law and protect women’s reproductive rights,” Gillibrand wrote in a blog post announcing her campaign platform.
“President Trump is appointing circuit court judges at a record pace, not to mention making two Supreme Court appointments. The impact of those appointments on Americans — and on reproductive rights in this country — will extend far beyond the end of his presidency. We have to fight back,” the presidential candidate said, referring to Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
Gillibrand said her promise, though less than traditional, was important given Senate majority leader and Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell’s blocking of former President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. The New York senator also said it was crucial as Republican-controlled statehouses and conservative governors pass anti-abortion measures into law.
The Supreme Court became a wedge issue in 2016, incentivizing many voters to cast ballots for President Trump, despite having reservations about his character because of, among other concerns, the “Access Hollywood” tape in which he bragged about sexual assault. The country’s highest bench is likely to generate similar interest during the 2020 general election.
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