5 Ways To Take Action In Honor Of Ruth Bader Ginsburg This Week

Senator Mitch McConnell may have vowed to hold a confirmation hearing for Trump's Supreme Court pick ASAP, but the fight's not over yet. The election is just six weeks away — and if the thought of a Trump appointee to the Supreme Court slipping in before November makes you shiver, it's time to get out your signing pen. One petition to stop the replacement process until after the election on MoveOn.org has now attracted nearly 1 million signatures. While a petition isn't the same as calling on senators directly — more on that below — it's a very visible way to make your voice heard.

According to The New York Times, several Republicans may commit to not voting on a confirmation before the election, following the tradition established by McConnell when he stonewalled Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland in 2016. The Republicans hold a Senate majority of 53 to 47 Democrats. Two Republicans senators have now said they would not vote on a nominee before the election: Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

In order to block a confirmation, there need to be 51 senators in favor of waiting until after the election — so, two more after Collins and Murkowski. Mitt Romney of Utah and Charles E. Grassley of Iowa may be possible dissenters, too, as might Cory Gardner of Colorado. You can contact each of these senators' offices and tell them why you think it's important to postpone the confirmation until after the election.

In addition to directly contacting Republican senators to ask them not to confirm a nominee before Election Day, you can seek out Democratic races that could have consequences in the SCOTUS fight. In Arizona, democrat Mark Kelly is running to unseat Sen. Martha McSally, who replaced John McCain after his death, in a special election that could have the winner sworn in by Nov. 30. If Kelly wins — and polling currently estimates that that's likely — it could sway a potential confirmation battle. To support his campaign, you can donate here.

But myriad other races hang in the balance. Democratic representatives can act as a check against any conservative justice the Trump administration might push through, and supporting their campaigns can provide the push they need to cross the finish line. Since Friday, ActBlue, a grassroots organization that spreads donations across different Democratic campaigns, saw over $100 million in new donations, many from small donors pledging a few dollars at a time. Other groups raising funds to support campaigns on the left include Emily's List, which supports female, pro-choice candidates, or Swing Left, which directs money to candidates in very close races.

The Supreme Court hasn't been like this — that is, so partisan. The New Republic reports that after a scandal in 1968 forced Lyndon Johnson-appointed nominee Justice Abe Fortas to resign, the Nixon administration was able to appoint three conservative Justices, reshaping the court. That pattern has continued in the decade since, with Republicans appointing more and more conservative justices. "Since the beginnings of the Nixon court, the votes of Republican appointees to the court have aligned with emerging Republican Party positions," John Fabian Witt wrote for New Republic earlier this year.

Though not all Republican-appointed justices have been reliably conservative, sometimes siding with the court's more liberal wing, Supreme Court justices serve for life — so any confirmation will have effects for decades to come. This history isn't just dinner party conversation. Understanding how the court — which is meant to be a check on the power of the executive and legislative branches of government — has gotten so tangled up in fights between the left and right is a powerful way to fuel your activism. It also underlines how your choices and votes can reverberate all the way up to the highest court in the land.

Before she was a Supreme Court Justice, Ginsburg led the American Civil Liberties Union's Women's Rights Project, and even after her confirmation, she supported legal aid organizations around the country. If you have some spare time or change, give it in her name. Law students can volunteer their expertise with the Legal Aid Society, while other organizations like HerJustice provide opportunities to volunteer by helping with administration, organization, or campaign management. Look up legal aid clinics in your area and volunteer (virtually) where you can.