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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Senate Republicans Hasten Trump’s Takeover of the Federal Judiciary

August 2, 2019 – Washington, D.C. – The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today expressed deep disappointment in the US Senate’s confirmation of 13 district court judges in two days. Jody Rabhan, NCJW’s director of government relations and advocacy, issued the following statement: 

“Once again, the Senate has completely abdicated its constitutional duty to advise and consent on the president’s nominees to serve lifetime appointments on our nation’s courts. In just two days, the Senate rushed to confirm 13-lifetime judges to our federal district courts — the courts that make daily decisions about reproductive rights, voting rights, religious freedom, LGBTQ rights, and more. This would be an impossible feat if the Senate actually stopped to consider and debate each individual nominee, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made sure that senators wouldn’t be able to do that when he unilaterally changed Senate rules to decrease the amount of debate time by more than 90 percent per nominee.

“What’s more, McConnell allowed only 18 of President Obama’s district court nominees to be confirmed in the final two years of his presidency. The hypocrisy of McConnell pushing to confirm nearly that number in just 2 days is astounding and makes his ultimate goal of remaking our courts in the image of Donald Trump even more transparent. Our children and their children will suffer the consequences of the Senate’s complicity in McConnell’s power grab for decades to come.”

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. More information on Facebook and on Twitter at @NCJW.