Read a PDF of our statement here.
NAACP Legal Defense Fund Statement on Judge Gorsuch’s Failure to Attract 60 Votes Necessary to End Debate on Nomination
This morning, the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to end debate on the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. Last month, citing serious concerns about Judge Gorsuch’s civil rights record, LDF took the rare step of opposing his nomination. LDF’s President and Director-Counsel, Sherrilyn Ifill, issued the following statement:
“Today – after full hearings, committee deliberations, and a vote – the U.S. Senate came to the conclusion we reached after our review of Judge Gorsuch’s record. Our exhaustive report on Judge Gorsuch’s civil rights record details his restrictive views on access to justice, his frequent opposition to claims of discrimination and harassment, and his steadfast support for the death penalty, among many other troubling stances. Altogether, Judge Gorsuch’s full record, including his actions during 10 years on the federal bench, raises serious concerns about his commitment to the words carved above the entrance to the Supreme Court: equal justice under law. Now that the people’s representatives have spoken, President Trump should withdraw Judge Gorsuch’s nomination to the Supreme Court and nominate a jurist who will uphold the rights and dignity of all Americans.”
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Founded in 1940, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization and has been completely separate from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) since 1957—although LDF was originally founded by the NAACP and shares its commitment to equal rights. LDF’s Thurgood Marshall Institute is a multi-disciplinary and collaborative hub within LDF that launches targeted campaigns and undertakes innovative research to shape the civil rights narrative. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund or LDF.
