In response to today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote on the nomination of Ryan Bounds, President Trump’s nominee to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker issued the following statement:

“Today’s vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee is part of Republicans’ unprecedented and escalating campaign to undermine the Senate’s responsibility to advise and consent on judicial nominations. President Trump could not have been more clear in thumbing his nose at Bounds’ home state senators. But despite his promises to uphold the blue slip process, Chuck Grassley didn’t hesitate to break his commitments and overturn senate tradition to force yet another unqualified, unfit nominee past the normal vetting process. If he is confirmed, it would be the first time in history a judicial nominee has been confirmed over the objection of both home state senators.

“Ryan Bounds is just the latest narrow-minded elitist that a responsible confirmation process, including consultation with home state senators, would unquestionably have weeded out. His writings mocking people of color and brushing aside the seriousness of sexual assault make it clear that while the wealthy and powerful may have a fair hearing in his courtroom, the rest of us won’t. That’s probably why he didn’t disclose those writings to Oregon’s bipartisan judicial selection commission. But fairness and honesty are just words to Senator Grassley and his Republican colleagues. They’re eager to pack the courts with judges willing to put their political agenda above everything else, so when Trump asks them to jump, they just ask how high.”

People For the American Way Foundation 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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