Day One: Shameless Sham Hearing

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the first day of the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:

“Today was more of the same sad, shameless sham. Committee Republicans willfully refused to focus on how Kavanaugh would rule as a judge. They failed to address the secretive, partisan, and incomplete record review process. And they failed to acknowledge the criminal investigations surrounding the Trump administration.  We are screening for a Supreme Court justice – not a PTA president.

“The next Supreme Court justice will have a lasting impact on our civil and human rights – from health care and reproductive freedom to voting and disability rights. We applaud those senators who sought to postpone the hearing so the Senate and the American people would have access to Kavanaugh’s full record as a political operative in the White House. They heard the calls from people demanding transparency and accountability. And they heard from those concerned about this nomination given all that is at stake for their lives and freedoms. In the audience during today’s hearing were cancer survivors, tribal leaders, families of victims of gun violence, and people with pre-existing conditions who are concerned about their health care.

“Outside the hearing room, in Washington, D.C., and across the land, communities are rising up to demand that this nomination be halted. Senators should listen to them.”

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.