In Shadow of Watt and Millett Filibusters, Civil Rights Group Calls for Confirmation of Pillard and Wilkins to D.C. Circuit

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WASHINGTON – Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the statement below in advance of cloture petitions being filed in Senate for the nominations of Cornelia Pillard and Robert Wilkins to fill vacant seats on the U.S Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court. The cloture petition for the Pillard nomination is expected to be filed today and soon for the Wilkins nomination. Pillard’s cloture petition comes just a week after the Senate made history by filibustering Congressman Mel Watt’s nomination to head the Federal Finance Housing Agency (FHFA) and Patricia Millett to fill another vacant seat on the D.C. Circuit:

“Last week’s votes on Watt and Millett marked a new low for the Senate confirmations process.  It’s now clear that the hyperpartisan dream of shutting down the government is still alive and well in the Senate.  By keeping judicial and administration posts vacant at any cost, these extremists have created a slow motion government shutdown.  Under these circumstances, even the most well-qualified nominees – like Watt and Millett – will be filibustered. 

But the senators kowtowing to the Club for Growth and Heritage Action are not just acting out of pure ideology; they are also serving the same business interests that profit off of government inaction.   Torpedoing the Watt nomination ensures minimal FHFA oversight and greater profits to be made off of struggling homeowners. These same forces are now placing their bets on an understaffed and unbalanced D.C. Circuit, which routinely rules in favor of business over everyday people who benefit from consumer protections, health and safety regulation, and fair labor laws. 

This confluence of ideology and profit motive has made this the most poisonous Senate nominations process in modern times.

We can’t shut down our way to a better America. We encourage the Senate to step away from the political fringe and support cloture on Pillard and Wilkins.” 

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.