Civil Rights Coalition Urges Senate to Confirm All Pending Judicial Nominees
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Patrick McNeil, [email protected]
WASHINGTON — Lena Zwarensteyn, senior director of the fair courts program and an advisor at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement ahead of the Senate’s expected votes on two district court nominees:
“This week, the Senate is expected to confirm two more district court judges who will bring important experience and diversity to federal courts in California. Judge Benjamin Cheeks will be the 63rd Black lifetime judge confirmed during the Biden administration, setting a new record for Black lifetime judicial confirmations during any presidency of any length. Judge Serena Murillo will be the 150th woman confirmed during this administration and brings important lived experience as the 24th Latina lifetime judge confirmed under President Biden. We celebrate these incredible milestones, and we know that more work remains.
“We call for the Senate to also immediately confirm the remaining pending circuit court nominees — Adeel Mangi, Karla Campbell, and Julia Lipez. All three are highly qualified, fair-minded, and possess impressive records of demonstrated commitment to our civil and human rights. They reflect the kind of brilliant nominees who President Biden has nominated and — thanks to the leadership of Leader Schumer and Chair Durbin — the Senate has confirmed.
“It is unacceptable that these confirmations have been delayed and possibly sacrificed. The millions of people in the First, Third, and Sixth Circuits deserve better. These nominees, some of whom have been subjected to bigoted and biased attacks, deserve better. And those who aspire to one day be a federal judge deserve better. The Senate’s failure to confirm these nominees would be a failure for our communities and for the protection of the rights and freedoms that our coalition has fought for decades to secure and defend.
“We urge Leader Schumer to take the necessary steps — and to stay in session for as long as it takes — to confirm all pending nominees, including all circuit court nominees. Given what’s at stake and the very real threats that lie ahead for our freedoms and for our democracy, we must get this done.”
The Leadership Conference, joined by 150+ other national organizations, wrote to senators urging them to confirm all pending judicial nominees, including all circuit court nominees, before the end of the Biden administration.
The Leadership Conference wrote in support of the nominations of Karla Campbell and Adeel Mangi. After Mr. Mangi was subjected to anti-Muslim attacks, The Leadership Conference and more than 125 organizations wrote to senators calling for his confirmation and denouncing the bigoted attacks and lies.
Read The Leadership Conference’s fact sheets about Black, Latino/a, and AANHPI lifetime judges confirmed during the Biden administration, in addition to one about openly LGBTQ lifetime judges confirmed throughout our nation’s history and one about segregated federal courts in America.
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 240 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.
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