WASHINGTON – The Senators from Illinois have released statements regarding President Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee announcement Saturday afternoon of appellate judge Amy Coney Barrett.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) seem frustrated with Republicans.

“It is clear why Republicans have reversed their position from 2016 about giving the American people ‘a voice’ in filling an election year vacancy.  They want another vote on the Supreme Court for their lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act—eliminating health insurance for millions, ending protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and raising costs for millions more—in the middle of a pandemic,” Durbin said.

Durbin also claims President Trump wants to push Barrett’s nomination through the Senate before the general election in 38 days and before the Supreme Court case deciding whether the Affordable Care Act will stay in place in 45 days.

“What’s at stake with this nomination is the fate of affordable, quality health care and pre-existing conditions protections for millions of Americans,” Durbin said.

Duckworth listed a myriad of reasons she believes the stakes are high.

“The stakes could not be higher: if Republicans insist on confirming Judge Barrett, the Court could roll back women’s reproductive rights, greenlight more dark money in politics, jeopardize voting rights and civil rights for Black and brown communities and knock down any progress on climate action. I voted against confirming Amy Coney Barrett to sit on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit because she failed to demonstrate the capability or willingness to serve as an impartial, fair and independent jurist. Judge Barrett was not fit to be a Circuit Judge in 2017 and she is the wrong choice for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court today. Once again, she will not have my support,” Duckworth said.