Illinois pols mourn Ginsburg
The weight of the loss of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died Friday at age 87, is being felt across the state.
“Justice Ginsburg was a giant for justice and a force that represented the best of our judicial system and our country. I am personally shaken and devastated,” said U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill.
“Her fierce advocacy for the protection of rights for all people under the law — women, workers, LGBTQ people alike — and her guardianship of the Constitution must not be taken for granted,” Underwood added.
The Supreme Court lost its “most valiant champion for justice in our lifetime,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, — who also demanded Ginsburg’s seat on the court remain vacant through the presidential election, recalling how Sen. Mitch McConnell refused to consider President Barack Obama’s nominee for the court, Merrick Garland, even though Garland was nominated much earlier in the year — in March of 2016.
“Please remember Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s demand that Supreme Court vacancies go unfilled during a presidential election year, which was also Justice Ginsburg’s dying wish,” Durbin said.
McConnell has already released a statement declaring that the Senate would vote on President Donald Trump’s nominee this year.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton said Ginsburg was one of her role models because she admired her intellect, fearlessness to speak on issues and her tenacity in court.
“She made it clear that it is the right and duty of every woman to be her best, and to expect equity, and to fight for herself and others, if she does not get it,” Stratton said.
Like Durbin, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he and wife M.K. Pritzker want the country to honor Ginsburg by respecting her dying wish.
“Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was first a trailblazer and then a bulwark for equality, whether you are a woman, gay, a person of color or disabled,” Pritzker said. “Just as importantly, she was a shining role model for girls everywhere — a testament to working hard and fighting for what’s right.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., said the nation lost “a 5’1” giant” who gave girls and women a voice everywhere.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle shared their grief on Twitter.
“Devastated by the passing of RBG. She represented the finest among lawyers in our country. A giant in her advocacy for women’s rights, civil rights and respect for the rule of law. We must honor her legacy and all her contributions to American jurisprudence. Rest in power, RBG,” Lightfoot tweeted.
Preckwinkle said the country lost a “beacon of light.”
“There are no words to describe Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s enormous impact on the history of our nation. She has fought for gender equality for decades and in the last several years has battled cancer with the same tenacity,” she said.