Menendez doubles down on opposition to Kavanaugh

U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was joined by gun control groups and top North Jersey political leaders in Paterson today to oppose President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Menendez’s remarks came hours after two people were killed in a Paterson shooting on Sunday evening.

“If Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed, the gun industry will have new ammunition in their war to overturn commonsense laws aimed at protecting our children, keeping our streets safe, and stopping deadly firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” said Menendez. “If confirmed, President Trump will have replaced Justice Kennedy – the only swing vote on the court – with someone who only swings to the far-right, no matter the cost to American lives. We’re talking about decades of bad decisions at a time when two out of three Americans support tougher gun laws. That’s why the NRA is cheering on Kavanaugh’s nomination.”

Menendez was joined by Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-Paterson), Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, State Sen. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), and Bill Caster, a senior advisor to Gov. Phil Murphy.  Representatives of the Giffords Law Center, the Brady Campaign, Everytown, Ceasefire New Jersey and Mothers Demand Action.

U.S. Senator Cory Booker had been expected to attend, but decided to remain in Washington to prepare for Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing.  Booker is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“America’s gun violence epidemic weighs every day on the minds families across our country. With many kids going back to school this week, parents worry when they hear children describe going through a metal detector or an active shooter drill,” Pascrell said. “As a supermajority of Americans cry out for commonsense gun reform, the last thing we need is a Supreme Court justice who is hostile to nearly all forms of gun regulation.”

Castner called Kavanaugh “the most extreme pro-gun nominee in modern U.S. history.

“Our message to him is very direct: back off New Jersey’s strong gun violence prevention laws supported by Governor Murphy,” Castner said.

Sayegh, who became Mayor on July 1, remembered some of the local residents who have lost their lives to gun violence.

“We don’t manufacture guns in Paterson, yet they make their way into our city, Sayegh said.  “I’m afraid that if this Supreme Court nominee is approved, there will be a proliferation of guns into our cities.