KAVANAUGH NOMINATION A LIGHTNING ROD AT RALLY
a Central American immigrant in federal custody. Choice is a deciding factor for many voters, Harmon said.
“Women are mobilizing around this issue, and I think women recognize that the overturning of Roe v. Wade is a real possibility, and we are not going to let that happen,” Harmon said.
Sierra Bumanglag, an organizer with youth voter registration group Nextgen, said young people were growing as a progressive, diverse voting bloc. She said issues such as the cost of college tuition, gun control and threats to reproductive rights were increasingly coming to the forefront and galvanizing voters ages 18 to 35.
The number of active registered voters ages 18 to 24 in Nevada is up nearly 38.5 percent from August 2014, the last midterm election, and almost 42 percent among those 25 to 34, according to Nevada secretary of state data.
Bumanglag said Kavanaugh’s appointment could roll back reproductive rights to the 1960s with the possible reversal of Roe v. Wade. She said further GOP efforts to defund Planned Parenthood would particularly hurt young people, some of whom receive their only health care through Planned Parenthood.
“That impacts a lot of us directly,” Bumanglag said.
Advocates at the rally Wednesday also expressed concern over the Trump administration’s response in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Trump last week praised the government’s response, despite a death toll that experts say is thousands higher than originally estimated.
Frances Cintron of the group Make The Road said she saw the destruction in Puerto Rico firsthand, and the lack of support for recovery from the president showed he wanted to “demoralize” the community.
“Today, on the verge of the year (anniversary) of this tragedy, what really hurts is the indifference and the lack of humanity of the current president, Donald Trump, toward the Puerto Rican community, minimizing the great losses that we have suffered — 3,000 lives, directly and indirectly, from the hurricane,” she said.
Quentin Savwoir, deputy field director for Make It Work, said the group supported eliminating the gender pay gap, a disparity of roughly 20 cents on the dollar earned by men compared with women, with an even larger disparity for women of color.
The Trump administration has rolled back some Obama-era policies aimed at reducing the gap, such as requiring reporting from certain companies.
“The Trump agenda overlooks working-class families that in Clark County are disproportionately led by women of color,” he said. “They are the true silent majority and are constantly left behind.”
Andy Maggi, executive director of the Nevada Conservation League, said deregulation efforts were chipping away at policies that have, for decades, helped reduce pollution and improve safety. Trump has moved to roll back the Clean Power Plan, which Kavanaugh has written against, Maggi said.
Clean air is an issue that affects people every day, Maggi said. The American Lung Association ranks Las Vegas 12th out of 227 cities for worst smog.
Kavanaugh has “routinely questioned” the regulatory authority of the government to put protections in place when it comes to clean water and air, Maggi said. “His record is long; it’s dangerous for our communities and our environment,” he said.
Trump is scheduled to rally Republicans at 7 p.m. today at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Front-and-center will be Heller, who is facing a strong challenge from U.S. Rep. Jacky Rosen in their race for the Senate, and Danny Tarkanian, who is seeking a seat in Congress. In addition to rallying voters to support Heller and Tarkanian, Trump is also expected to continue to push for support for Kavanaugh.
Heller has expressed support for Kavanaugh’s nomination and said in a statement Wednesday that Kavanaugh’s accuser should “share her information” with the Senate’s Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-iowa. Some other Republicans, including Sen. Susan Collins, R-maine, also said Ford should testify before the committee.
“Given the gravity of this appointment and this accusation, I would hope that all senators, regardless of party, will work with Chairman Grassley in good faith,” Heller said.
Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who had been waiting to meet with Kavanaugh before deciding whether to support his nomination, said in a statement Wednesday that she would oppose his confirmation.
“After carefully reviewing Judge Kavanaugh’s record and listening to his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have determined that his stance on a woman’s right to choose is extreme and disqualifies him from a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court,” she said.
Progressive groups are planning a counterrally near the Trump event.