(Washington, D.C.) – President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett today to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat on the United States Supreme Court. Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law issued the following statement in response:
“With a presidential election already underway, the president rushed to nominate a Supreme Court justice to replace the late Justice Ginsburg on the nation’s highest court. The timing of Judge Barrett’s nomination is unprecedented, marking the first time a nominee has been put forth in the middle of an ongoing general election as tens of thousands of Americans actively cast their ballots.
“Her nomination comes amid this administration’s relentless attacks on affirmative action, voting rights, access to health care and attempts to undermine the 2020 Census – issues impacting the lives and civil rights of all Americans, particularly African Americans and other people of color. The Senate should not silence the will of the people by rushing the confirmation process forward before the election has been decided. As with all nominations, the Senate should take seriously its constitutional obligation to fully review and vet nominees, as opposed to rubber-stamping Barrett’s nomination to achieve the political goal of a 9-member Court in time for the end of the 2020 election.”
Background:
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law will, consistent with its long-standing practice, issue a full report regarding the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. We urge the Senate to follow historical precedent and postpone consideration of Judge Barrett’s nomination until after the presidential election has been decided.
Over 1500 private attorneys across the country have joined a letter calling for suspension of this nomination. Read the letter here.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org.
