In response to the Senate vote to confirm Eric Miller to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“Eric Miller is the latest in a long line of narrow-minded elitists nominated by Donald Trump and confirmed by Republicans in the Senate more interested in rubberstamping nominees for lifetime seats on the federal bench than on exercising their constitutional responsibilities. But this confirmation also represents a dangerous new low in the GOP’s quest to tear all the guardrails off the process to push their political agenda by any means necessary. Miller is the first judicial nominee ever confirmed by the Senate over the objections of both of his home state senators. As if that wasn’t enough the Senate Judiciary Committee rushed his nomination though the vetting process, holding his hearing during a recess at a time when no Democratic senators could attend.

“There’s good reason Republicans had to cheat to confirm this nominee. Eric Miller has made a career of opposing the rights of Native Americans, raising concerns among the 472 recognized tribes within the Ninth Circuit. He’s also repeatedly attacked Americans’ reproductive freedom, including going out of his way to support legislation that would have banned a safe abortion procedure and driving women to use riskier procedures than necessary.

“Republicans have again and again made clear that they’re more interested in playing politics with our courts than they are in protecting the rights of all Americans. Today’s vote is another disturbing and destructive example of their irresponsibility.”

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy.

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