Senate Moves to Vote on Extremist Nominee Andrew Oldham

WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the passage, on a party-line basis, of a cloture petition to schedule a floor vote for Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Andrew Oldham:

“While much of the national attention is on the Supreme Court vacancy, we must not lose sight of the dangerous Trump takeover of the lower courts, aided and abetted by Senate Majority Leader McConnell and Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley. Time and again, the Senate is rubber stamping narrow-minded individuals who lack the independence and impartiality to serve as federal judges.

“Mr. Oldham is one of those narrow-minded individuals. He is not fit to serve in a lifetime appointment as a federal judge. As his record clearly shows, he has worked to restrict and undermine voting rights, immigrant rights, women’s access to reproductive care, environmental protection, and gun safety. Even more concerning is his potential influence on current litigation in the Fifth Circuit challenging the Affordable Care Act. If confirmed, Mr. Oldham could be a deciding vote to undermine healthcare access for millions of people. Healthcare is a civil and human rights issue of profound importance.

“In addition, Mr. Oldham refused to agree that Brown v. Board of Education was correctly decided, demonstrating his lack of fitness to fill a lifetime seat on the bench. The Senate must oppose his confirmation and protect our civil and human rights.”

The Leadership Conference has sent a letter to the Senate in opposition to Andrew Oldham.

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.