** URGENT** Supreme Court Update & petition - from Sen. Chuck Schumer/DSCC

Sen. Chuck Schumer
Chair, DSCC


I have good news. Your commitment to a Supreme Court nominee we can count on to protect the rights and freedoms of every American is paying off. But now is not the time to let up.

George Bush has invited a small bipartisan group of Senate leaders to the White House for a meeting on Monday, July 11. During that meeting, he will almost certainly discuss potential nominees to the Supreme Court. I think that's an important first step in the process of meaningful consultation, but we must make sure that this is more than just a courtesy call. Bush must engage in real, meaningful consultation before making any decisions.

That's why the DSCC launched its petition earlier this week calling for this kind of meaningful consultation with the Senate and the American people. Nearly 20,000 of you have already joined our call to action, and I can't thank you enough for your support. If you haven't yet signed the petition, there's still time to help us reach our goal of 30,000 signatures before the meeting on Monday. Together, we can show George Bush that the American people want all parties to engage in the meaningful consultation that will result in a Supreme Court nominee we can all be proud of.

Click here to sign the DSCC's Supreme Court petition.

Meaningful consultation is vital to the nomination process because it will result in a nominee that will unite the country. This means that the president should work with the Senate to pick a mainstream nominee who will protect the rights of every American. This is actually the historical norm and is precisely what President Clinton and Senator Hatch did during the last Supreme Court nomination process. Meaningful consultation is not just checking names off a list or making a courtesy call with no real chance for discussion.

By signing the DSCC's petition, you will help us show George Bush that the American people want a Supreme Court judge who is committed to fully protecting the rights and freedoms of every American. They want a nomination process that unites us in order to select a judge who will serve the broad interests of our nation, not a divisive partisan battle. They want George Bush to make good on his promise to be a uniter, not a divider. Please sign our petition today.

Click here to sign the DSCC's Supreme Court petition.

I urge you to sign our petition before Monday so that we can show him what kind of meaningful consultation we expect. I'll be sure to write you next week and let you know what happens during this important meeting. In the meantime, let's keep the pressure on and make sure that George Bush knows that the American people want a Supreme Court justice committed to protecting the rights and freedoms of every American.


Sincerely,


Chuck Schumer
Chair, DSCC