Owen’s Confirmation Disappointing

WASHINGTON – In response to the confirmation of Priscilla Owen to the federal bench, Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition issued the following statement:

Priscilla Owen’s record is one of protecting big business over the rights of individuals, consumers, and employees. Her confirmation is a disappointment. Even her own, very conservative Texas colleagues agree she is often outside the mainstream. Her confirmation proves that the White House not only supports, but actively embraces, activist judges as long as they are radical right activist judges.

Our Senators showed this week that they could work together in a bipartisan fashion to protect the Senate’s right to filibuster. Now they must work together to protect the rights of ordinary Americans.

The American people deserve fair minded judges that have the law and public’s best interest at heart. There are plenty of good judges out there. If the President wanted to, he could easily work with both Democrats and Republicans to find consensus candidates that would not only win confirmation, but deserve confirmation.