October 9, 2020

United States Senate

Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator:

The undersigned religious, religiously-affiliated, values-based, and faith‐centered organizations  and communities represent millions of people of faith committed to compassion, justice, and  equal rights for all, including equal access to health care. We are deeply concerned about the  nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett and what it would mean for the millions of people who  rely on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

President Trump has stated he will only nominate judges who would dismantle the ACA. Judge  Amy Coney Barrett would seem to fit that bill given her demonstrated opposition to the  Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to the very premise that all deserve quality, comprehensive, and nondiscriminatory health coverage and services. In the midst of an ongoing pandemic with more  than 200,000 deaths and record unemployment, we need a principle defender of justice on the  Supreme Court who is committed to upholding civil and human rights, including equal access to  health care, while serving on the highest court in the land.

People of faith believe in the dignity of all — and that means all. Our tradition teaches that each  of us is made in the image of the divine. As such, every single person’s health is paramount and  unassailable. We have an obligation to care for and to protect our bodies and to ensure all  others can do the same. This is especially true for the most marginalized members of our  society — particularly for Black, Indigenous, and people of color communities; young people;  low-income people; people living with disabilities; rural communities; immigrants, and LGBTQ  individuals. Responding to the urgent needs of these vulnerable populations disproportionately  impacted by the coronavirus requires nothing less than the full attention of the Senate.

Notably, the ACA represents a critical source of health care coverage for these historically  underserved communities and was instrumental in covering a wide range of life-saving  preventive services, including immunizations, without cost-sharing requirements. However, the  fate of this landmark legislation, which had a transformative impact on all aspects of health care  by increasing the scope of benefits and improving access to coverage for millions of Americans,  hangs in the balance as the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in California v.  Texas on November 10.

At stake are protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, Medicaid  expansion that covers 16 million people, 12 million seniors who will have to pay more for  prescription drugs, and so much more. Should the ACA be struck down, tens of millions of  Americans will immediately lose access to coverage as an unprecedented health crisis rages  on, plunging our entire health care system into confusion and chaos. People of faith refuse to  remain idle while the health, safety, and lives of countless individuals are on the line and believe  that our next Supreme Court justice must commit to upholding precedent affirming the  constitutionality of the ACA.

During her time on the bench, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg exemplified a federal judiciary that  is of and for the people; that is fair, independent, and qualified; and that is committed to  upholding constitutional rights for everyone. We now ask the Senate to follow her powerful  example by putting the health and security of our nation and its people first by opposing the

nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to a lifetime seat on the US Supreme Court. It is the moral  thing to do.

Sincerely,

National Council of Jewish Women

African American Ministers In Action

Alliance of Baptists

Ameinu

Auburn Seminary

Avodah

Bayard Rustin Liberation Initiative

Bend the Arc

Catholics for Choice

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Clergy Advocacy Board of Planned Parenthood Federation of America Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice

Community Renewal Society

Faith in Public Life

FaithTrust Institute

Faithful America

Franciscan Action Network

Habonim Dror North America

Interfaith Alliance

Interfaith Voices for Reproductive Justice (IVRJ)

Justice Revival

Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action

Jewish Women International

Keshet

Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute

Lab/Shul

NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

Peaceful Families Project

Reconstructing Judaism

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Saint Mark United Methodist Church

SisterReach

Society for Humanistic Judaism

T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

Ta’amod: Stand Up!

The Shalom Center

Union for Reform Judaism

Unitarian Universalist Association

United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

Women of Reform Judaism