Bozeman residents protest outside Daines' office over Supreme Court vacancy
BOZEMAN, Mont. — On Tuesday night, about 30 protesters gathered outside Sen. Steve Daines’ downtown office on South Wilson Avenue in Bozeman.
Their aim was to call out what they call the “Republican Senate’s hypocrisy.”
In March of 2016, Sen. Steve Daines sent a tweet in reference to then-President Barack Obama nominating a Supreme Court Justice in an election year saying, “The Senate should exercise its constitutional powers by not confirming a new #SCOTUS justice until Americans have their voices heard.”
Earlier this week Daines issued the following statement in regard to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: "“In 2016 there were two major differences from today. First, Obama was term limited and not up for reelection. President Trump is up for reelection and he will win Montana in November,” Daines said. “Second, In 2016, the White House and Senate were controlled by opposing parties and today they are the same party. In fact in American history, there have been 15 Supreme Court vacancies that arose in a presidential election year when the president submitted a nomination to the Senate. It’s been over 130 years since the Senate confirmed a justice when the Senate and the White House were of opposing parties.”
Sunrise Movement Gallatin Valley organized the protest they called No Confirmation Before Inauguration.
Sara Blessing, founder of the local chapter of Sunrise Movement, said they organized the protest in the wake of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death.
She said they’re fighting against the Senate’s move to confirm a new justice before the election in November.
"I think it was more symbolic than anything,” said Blessing.
Blessing said Sunrise Movement will have more events leading up to November’s election and even past then if they feel they have to.
“We know what we're asking, what we're demanding really, as the people he's representing, and it’s falling on deaf ears,” Blessing continued. “A man who just refuses to listen and refuses to show up in his home state."
