Kaine says he’ll vote against Gorsuch

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he will vote against the Supreme Court nomination of Neil Gorsuch.

In a statement released Wednesday, the 2016 Democratic vice presidential candidate referenced contraception and abortion rights in announcing that he will vote against cloture and the final confirmation for Gorsuch.

“After meeting with Judge Gorsuch and reviewing his testimony and past decisions, I’ve observed that he has repeatedly taken an activist approach to cases involving a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her health,” Kaine said in the statement.

{mosads}”He has made the astounding argument that bosses have an individual right to prevent their company’s female employees from using their own health insurance to buy contraception.”

Kaine went on to say Gorsuch has taken “extraordinary steps to force reconsideration of rulings that preserve access to reproductive health.”

“Judge Gorsuch unquestionably has an impressive professional and education background, but a nominee to the Supreme Court must also demonstrate sound judicial philosophy,” Kaine wrote.

“Judge Gorsuch’s selective activism in restricting women’s rights and his framing of women making their own health decisions as ‘the wrongdoing of others’ are jarring and do not demonstrate a philosophy that belongs on the Supreme Court,” he continued.

“I will oppose his nomination.”

After meeting with Judge Gorsuch & studying his past decisions, I’ve decided to oppose his nomination. Full statement: pic.twitter.com/0yjyB4znoX

— Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) March 29, 2017

Kaine joins many other Democrats who have announced they do not plan to support Gorsuch’s nomination.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is urging Democrats to join him in opposing Gorsuch.

Republicans have warned they will go “nuclear” and change the Senate’s rules to force through the Gorsuch confirmation if Democrats block a nominee they say is fully qualified for the court.