FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 6, 2018
Contact:
Lauren Gray, NCLR lgray@nclrights.org / 215.983.3099
NCLR Responds to Senate Confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States
WASHINGTON, DC—The U.S. Senate today voted to confirm Trump nominee Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, despite the fact that Kavanaugh faced credible allegations of attempted rape. More than 2,400 law professors signed a letter opposing Kavanaugh’s nomination, citing his lack of judicial temperament and the partisan behavior he displayed at last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. And this week, Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens echoed these concerns, stating that Kavanaugh’s behavior at last week’s hearing indicates that he is not qualified to sit on the nation’s highest court.
National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) Legal Director Shannon Minter issued the following statement in response:
“Today’s Senate vote is a slap in the face to women and all sexual assault survivors. It is also a blow to the legitimacy of the Supreme Court. Kavanaugh’s belligerence and hyperpartisan attacks at last week’s hearing do not reflect the temperament or impartiality required for a lifetime appointment to our nation’s highest court.
“Our nation’s strength lies in our system of checks and balances, in which courts enforce constitutional limitations on the powers of the other branches and ensure that governments respect the freedom and equality of women and minorities. The appointment of an openly partisan nominee threatens that balance and poses a danger to the equal rights of women, religious minorities, people of color, and LGBTQ people.
“Senator Susan Collins’ statements that Kavanaugh will uphold the Affordable Care Act and protect reproductive freedom are out of step with his judicial record and his strong support from extremist groups that seek to gut these critical protections.
“Today the United States Senate failed the American people by confirming to the Supreme Court an individual unsuited to a lifetime appointment to a position that will affect the lives of everyone in this country.”
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The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the human and civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. www.NCLRights.org
