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Freshman congresswoman Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) is defending her “no” vote cast earlier this week regarding round-the-clock security for Supreme Court (SCOTUS) justices and their families.
The measure was suggested after a man targeted Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, threatening to kill him. The man was arrested with a knife, gun, and zip ties.
However, the legislation passed with overwhelming support from the GOP. 27 Democrats, including Bush, voted against the measure.
Representative Bush has been criticized for her no vote by her competitor for the Democratic primary, state Sen. Steve Roberts, D-St. Louis. The primary election between the two is on August 2.
According to a spokesman for Roberts, Representative Bush’s vote was “another ‘do as I say, not as I do’ moment from Cori Bush.” He noted that Bush’s campaign often pays for private security for the Congresswoman.
Meanwhile, Representative Bush has shrugged off the criticism, stating that such a measure distracts from the larger issues facing SCOTUS’ after a recent memo leak about abortion. According to Bush, “The Supreme Court already has a police force charged with protecting our Justices.”
She followed up with criticism directed at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. “Since news of the Supreme Court leak… Mitch McConnell has sought to distract and derail any legitimate Congressional action to protect abortion and those who seek it.”
Representative Bush continued, “Instead of moving McConnell’s SCOTUS security distraction, we should be focusing on the people who will be most harmed by the policy violence that will emanate from the court’s impending harmful decision. That’s why I voted ‘no’ on S. 4160.”
Representative Bush has not been shy in talking about her own experiences, including an abortion she had after she was raped. In a House hearing on abortion rights, she stated, “We have nothing to be ashamed of, we live in a society that has failed to legislate love and justice for us, so we deserve better, we demand better, we are worthy of better.”
Most of Bush’s Democrat colleagues noted they voted “no” because the legislation did not include protections for others who work at the Supreme Court, including law clerks. According to Representative Ted Lieu D-CA, ??“Democrats want to also protect employees and families who are getting threats from right-wing activists.”