WASHINGTON D.C. —Today, progressive democracy groups, including People for the America Way, Progressive Change Institute, Alliance For Justice, Indivisible, and Stand Up America, delivered sleeping bags to Democratic Senators with an urgent message: Work late. Work weekends. Confirm every judge. With less than 10 judicial nominees that are or will be pending on the Senate calendar, including 4 powerful Court of Appeals nominees, now is the time to finish the work.
“Senators must do everything they can to confirm all of President Biden’s highly-qualified judicial nominees pending on the calendar before year’s end to ensure our rights and freedoms are protected,” said People For the American Way President Svante Myrick. “Failing to confirm all of these nominees risks leaving the doors open to lifetime appointments of Trump judges who will undermine those rights and take our nation backward.”
“With less than 2 weeks left of session, Democratic Senators should be using every single second to do their jobs, confirm judges, and prioritize the needs of Americans ahead of another Trump presidency. The thought of our so-called leaders taking long weekends and leaving early is egregious when they know what is at stake,” said Brett Edkins, Managing Director of Policy and Political Affairs at Stand Up America. “Their duty is to their constituents, and they must confirm all the judicial nominees – no matter what it takes. We are grateful to our partners for their support in this event, and look forward to Democratic Senators confirming every judge before the end of the year.”
“Every vacancy that doesn’t get a Biden judge will be left for Trump to fill with a loyalist committed to dismantling our rights,” said Keith Thirion, interim co-president of Alliance for Justice. “There is no excuse not to confirm these well-qualified nominees, some of whom have been waiting over a year. There’s still time to finish every confirmation, including all four circuit court nominations, and we encourage Senate Democrats to dedicate every possible minute they can to finishing the job.”
“Senate Democrats need to really fight for our democracy and confirm all the outstanding judicial nominees. They have to do whatever it takes to ensure that Trump doesn’t get the chance to fill these critical seats with MAGA judges who will enable him to roll back our rights even further — power these extremists would hold for the rest of their lives,” said Andrew O’Neill, Legislative Director of Indivisible. Their constituents are counting on them to safeguard these seats on the bench, even if it means working all night or on the weekends.”
With four circuit court of appeals nominees, whose courts collectively serve more than 100 million people in 16 states, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Progressive leaders called on Senators to put in the long hours—staying in session through weekends and skipping the holiday recess if necessary—to confirm judicial nominees before Republicans and Trump return to power.
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About Us People For the American Way is a national progressive advocacy organization that inspires and mobilizes Americans to defend freedom, justice, and democracy from those who threaten to take them away. For more than four decades, we have been dedicated to making the promise of America real for everyone and have worked toward a vision of a vibrant America where basic rights and freedoms are upheld for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Learn more: http://www.peoplefor.org
