Leadership Conference Letter Urging Swift Confirmation of Executive and Judicial Nominees
Dear Leader Schumer,
On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 240 national organizations committed to promoting and protecting the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States, and its Employment, Fair Courts, Fair Housing and Lending, and Media/Telecommunications Task Forces, we write to urge you to swiftly confirm executive and judicial nominees pending on the Executive Calendar before adjourning for the August recess.
We applaud your leadership and the remarkable pace at which you have led the Senate to confirm exceptional and diverse judicial and executive nominees. It is critically important that our agencies and judiciary are staffed with outstanding individuals who bring with them deep expertise and experience in protecting our civil and human rights. Agencies awaiting leadership and staff — some without working majorities for years — require the Senate’s action so they can tackle some of the most pressing issues facing our country. Far too many courthouses are in need of judges who administer equal justice. Significant and immediate work is necessary to keep us on the long-term path of creating a thriving multiracial democracy that will restore and advance civil and human rights for this and future generations.
To meet this moment, it is imperative to seize every opportunity to confirm exceptional executive and judicial nominees before leaving for the August recess and promptly upon your return in September. We urge you to lead the Senate in confirming critical judicial and executive nominees who are instrumental to the proper functioning of our agencies and the protection of our civil and human rights, including pending nominees to the:
- U.S. Department of Labor
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- National Labor Relations Board
- Federal Communications Commission
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
- Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and
- Federal judiciary, including the 17 Article III judicial nominees on the Executive Calendar.
The need for prompt action on these highly qualified nominees is essential for advancement of important agency work and the administration of justice. Additionally, the number of nominees on the Executive Calendar will only grow as many more executive and judicial vacancies still await nominees and many nominees are still awaiting committee consideration. Thus, it is critical to confirm as many of the nominees pending on the Executive Calendar as possible before the Senate leaves for the August recess. And it will be imperative, even with a crowded agenda when the Senate returns in September, to continue to prioritize these confirmations.
Thank you for your work to protect the civil and human rights of all people in America. We look forward to continuing to work with you to advance these priorities and build a democracy that lives up to its ideals.
Sincerely,
Maya Wiley
President & CEO
Jesselyn McCurdy
Executive Vice President of Government Affairs
cc: Senate Democratic Caucus