Senators Joined By People Who Judge Gorsuch Decided Against On The 10th Circuit Court Of Appeals

Judge Gorsuch’s Decisions Had Profound and Damaging Real-Life Implications For Working Americans, Including Truck Driver, College Professor, and Nurse Practitioner

Schumer: Judge Gorsuch Has Sided With The Powerful Few Over Everyday Americans Trying To Get A Fair Shake, Time And Time Again

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today joined people negatively impacted by President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee Judge Gorsuch’s decisions on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Schumer and Blumenthal were joined by Alphonse Maddin, Patricia Caplinger, and siblings David and Katherine Hwang, who told the stories of their experiences before Judge Gorsuch and the real-life implications of his decisions against them.

Leader Schumer said, “Judge Gorsuch may act like a neutral, calm judge, but his record and his career clearly show that he harbors a right-wing, pro-corporate special interest agenda. He enacted it time and time on the Tenth Circuit, and if given the chance, I have no doubt he would do so again on the Supreme Court. He expresses a lot of empathy and sympathy for the less powerful but when it comes time to rule, when the chips are down, far too often he sides with the powerful few over every day Americans trying to just get a fair shake. We’ve seen that play out time and time again.”

Senator Blumenthal said, “As the nominee of a President who has viciously attacked the independence of the judiciary and declared multiple litmus tests for justices, Judge Gorsuch has a special responsibility to reassure the American people that he will be an open-minded and independent jurist. The United States Supreme Court is more than marble pillars and glazed portraits – it is the flesh and blood embodiment of American justice at the highest level. The people who joined us today are the face and voice of what happens when American justice goes off the tracks.”

Alphonse Maddin, of Detroit, Michigan, said, “I disputed my termination from TransAm Trucking and ultimately won. This was a seven year battle, seven different judges heard my case, one of those judges found against me- that judge was Neil Gorsuch. Fortunately, two other judges on the appeal panel decided in favor of my case and ultimately I was victorious…I can only ask that people of this great nation, including the elected officials whose duty requires them to affect the nomination of this nation’s next Supreme Court Justice, consider the national ramifications on working people if the Supreme Court would have allowed TransAm Trucking to prevail in this matter, as would have happened if Judge Gorsuch’s ideology prevailed.”

Patricia Caplinger, of Springfield, Missouri, said, “It is my belief that Judge Gorsuch rules in favor of big business. There are thousands of people like me who have been injured by this product. Judge Gorsuch failed to take into account the fraudulent methods utilized by Medtronics to promote this product, questionable payments to physicians to utilize the product, and the lack of admission of complications due to use of this product. Most importantly, he said, a patient like me, injured and in constant pain, through no fault of my own, could not hold those responsible accountable.”

Katherine Hwang, joined by her brother David Hwang, both of Manhattan, Kansas, said of her late mother Grace, who was on the losing end of a Judge Gorsuch opinion in a disabilities case, “Since she was a single parent, I went to work with her frequently and saw firsthand her love of inspiring the next generation of leaders. One of the first things she asked after returning home was when she could return to work. However, because of the flu epidemic on campus, her doctors advised her not to expose herself due to her compromised immune system. She was told that she had one week to show up or they would force her to resign or fire her. This decision to protect her health cost my mom her job. When Judge Gorsuch issued his ruling, he didn’t think about the impact that this had on our family.”

Background on the Maddin, Caplinger, and Hwang Cases available here.

Video of the press conference available here.