For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.
At yesterday’s confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) brought up the question of whether citizens should have the right to sue for damage to the environment.
This has been the subject of some debate. There are those who argue that citizens don’t have the constitutional standing to bring such cases because they can’t prove they’ve been directly harmed by problems like global warming, the elimination of a species, or air or water pollution. Kagan affirmed that she believes citizens do have this right. Here’s the video of the exchange:
