Booker: ‘Profoundly Hypocritical’ SCOTUS Must Be Reformed

Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called the Supreme Court “profoundly hypocritical,” adding that it “desperately needs reform.”

Host Kristen Welker said, “Let’s turn to the battle over redistricting. One of the big headlines this week: a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling placed new limits on the Voting Rights Act, as you know, prompting states across the South to start redrawing their maps. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. I’m going to read some of what he said and get your reaction. Quote: allowing race to play any part in government decision-making represents a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context. Do you think race should be used as a factor to draw congressional lines?”

Booker said, “So first of all, this court is profoundly hypocritical. They said you can use race and immigration stops. So this is not about race. This is about stripping political power from millions of people. And obviously this decision would result, and they knew this, this in stripping political power and representation from African Americans. The Voting Rights Act was perhaps one of the most important acts in the history of our country, and securing our democratic ideals. All are created equal. All are imbued with certain unalienable rights. And what they have done right now is sent us backward in time, back to the 1870s and 80s, with the South and Southern legislators, through terrorism, intimidation and worse, were able to stop African Americans from having representation in Congress.”

He added, “This Supreme Court desperately needs reform. It is a corrupt court. And in my opinion, it is a court that needs reform. And I will continue to lead on those things.”

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