House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) said if Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed, the Supreme Court will become a “throwback” to the 1896 Plessy vs. Ferguson decision that upheld racial segregation and the 1857 Dred Scott decision which upheld slavery.
Anchor Poppy Harlow said, “Let’s end on this, if Judge Amy Coney Barrett is confirmed to the Supreme Court this week, if Joe Biden wins the presidential election do you support a President Biden packing the Supreme Court?”
Clyburn replied, “Well, I think the Supreme Court is being packed now.”
Harlow pressed, “But more justices, to the question of more justices, adding them, is that a good idea?”
Clyburn said, “Well, adding justices, I think we need to unpack the Supreme Court. There needs to be balanced in the Supreme Court. You know, I know what the Supreme Court was like during the Dred Scott decision, I know what the Supreme Court was like during Plessy vs. Ferguson. I think that this court that we see developing now is a throwback to Plessy vs. Ferguson and even Dred Scott?”
Harlow asked, “You Do?”
Clyburn insisted, “Absolutely I do believe that. I have said before. I believe very strongly that the Shelby vs. Holder decision that got rid of the Voting Rights Act was the worst decision of the Supreme Court since Dred Scott. I said that I believe that very strongly because I know what the vote does for people of color. I know what happened here in South Carolina and other states immediately after that decision when all of these onerous things were done to people’s voting rights. That’s what’s going on right now. A massive suppress the vote effort made possible, made possible by Shelby vs. Holder that would not happen but for that Supreme Court decision.”
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