WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Trump today announced Amy Coney Barrett as his U.S. Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who passed away last week. The Senate Majority has signaled its intention to hold confirmation hearings in October.

Center for Responsible Lending President Mike Calhoun released the following statement:

The Senate Majority needs to prioritize COVID-19 relief legislation for the rest of this year and not use the remaining time of this session to confirm judicial nominees, leaving millions of Americans vulnerable to financial hardship.

More than 200,000 people have needlessly died, renters and homeowners still face an uncertain future, small businesses are permanently closing, and the crushing burden of student loan debt continues to distress borrowers across the country.And yet, instead of addressing these issues head on, the Senate Majority has done little to help hardworking families struggling to get by—this is especially true for communities of color who have been hardest hit by the pandemic.

Refusing to hold a vote on the HEROES Act—which has been sitting in the Senate since the Spring—or introduce a substantive alternative will only continue to hurt people around the country.

Confirming judges isn’t a COVID-19 response, especially if it results in families losing their health care coverage or financial agencies losing their independence to regulate bad Wall Street actors. We strongly urge the Senate to get back to work in finding a solution to better contain the economic and public health fallout that this crisis has created.

###

Press Contact: ricardo.quinto@responsiblelending.org