Ninth Circuit Nominees Will Not Protect Rights of All

March 13, 2019

For Immediate Release
Contact: Kristen Voorhees, [email protected], 202.548.7166

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Daniel Collins and Kenneth Lee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit:

“The nomination of Lee and Collins to the Ninth Circuit Court over the objection of home state Senators Harris and Feinstein demonstrates Republicans’ determination to stack our courts with narrow-minded elitists. The absence of fair and impartial judges on our federal courts will hurt American communities by undermining key protections for civil and human rights. This must stop.

“Lee has demeaned sexual violence survivors, ridiculed diversity at universities, and defended voter suppression. Collins has restricted the rights of women, consumers, and torture victims. While these positions should disqualify them, Republicans have rigged the system to push their agenda, even overlooking Lee’s deliberate concealment of his inflammatory record. We implore all senators to reject their nominations to protect our courts.”

The Leadership Conference’s letter in opposition to the confirmation of Kenneth Lee is here and to the confirmation of Daniel Collins is here.

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 member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.