People for the American Way Report in Opposition to the Confirmation of Michael W. McConnell

Among the many subjects he has pursued, McConnell has written extensively on a number of civil rights issues. Much of his writing and advocacy concerning civil rights, however, is extremely troubling. He has strongly criticized a number of landmark civil rights precedents and principles, such as one-person, one-vote and Bob Jones University v. United States. He has supported efforts to limit congressional authority to protect civil rights. And he has argued for weakening both statutory and constitutional protections against discrimination based on race, gender, and sexual orientation. McConnell’s record not only fails to show a commitment to civil rights progress, but instead demonstrates active opposition to key civil rights principles.