WASHINGTON—In response to today’s stacked Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, which included three controversial Trump nominees—Amy Coney Barrett and Joan Larsen for lifetime seats on federal appeals courts and Eric Dreiband as head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division—People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker released the following statement.

“Given the profound impact these nominees would have on the lives of the American people, it’s critical the Senate Judiciary Committee fulfill its obligation to properly scrutinize their records. But the decision to hold one hearing for all of these controversial nominees deeply undermines the vetting process. It also made clear that Republicans care more about serving President Trump than they do their constitutional responsibility to thoroughly review nominees.

“Amy Coney Barrett has an alarming history of opposing reproductive rights. Joan Larsen has troubling views on executive power and has criticized landmark LGBTQ cases. And Eric Dreiband has spent his career defending corporations accused of employment discrimination and his record shows a dangerous indifference to issues that are at the heart of the Civil Rights Division’s mission.

“Each one of these nominees deserves close scrutiny. Jamming them all into one hearing prevented that. Yet again, Republicans kowtowed to the Trump administration and were negligent in their duty to ascertain the fitness of these individuals to serve. ”

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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