Donald M. Payne: “I appreciate the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia's leadership throughout the years on many of these issues.…”

“I appreciate the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia's leadership throughout the years on many of these issues. Mr. Speaker, confirmation of Judge Gorsuch to the Supreme Court would be detrimental to the interests of working Americans, particularly African-Americans and other vulnerable communities. Just as President Trump's agenda prioritizes special interests, Judge Gorsuch's record shows that he favors powerful interests and businesses over regular people. His hostility to class action lawsuits would threaten protections for workers, especially African-Americans and other minorities. What is particularly of concern to me is Gorsuch's opinion in what is known as the ``frozen trucker'' case. Gorsuch ruled against an African- American truck driver who, after breaking down in freezing weather, ignored his supervisor by unhitching the broken trailer from his truck and driving away in search of assistance. In freezing cold weather, the truck driver is nearly freezing to death. He has a truck that won't work with frozen brakes. They are telling him to move--to use the truck and drive away. If he takes his truck with frozen brakes, the harm potentially to other citizens is great. An 18-wheeler truck with no brakes, that doesn't seem logical. Gorsuch believed that the employee should have followed the orders, even though the driver's life was at risk.…”