Read a PDF of our statement here.

Today, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Andrew Brasher to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) opposed Mr. Brasher’s nomination because of his troubling record on several key civil rights issues. This vote to confirm serves as yet another reminder of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s pointed push to pack the federal judiciary, while simultaneously delaying the advancement of dozens of pieces of crucial legislation that would help preserve and protect Americans’ civil and constitutional rights.

“Majority Leader McConnell’s insistence on pushing through judicial votes while holding countless crucial pieces of legislation hostage on his desk shows a complete disregard for the integrity of the legislative process and the wellbeing of this country,” said Lisa Cylar Barrett, LDF’s Director of Policy.

More than 250 House-passed bills are currently sitting idle because the Majority Leader refuses to advance them. As the civil rights community continues its decades-long fight to ensure that African Americans have equal access to the ballot box, and as the 2020 election approaches, we should all be concerned with protecting elections from improper influence and interference.  The SHIELD Act, which would create mechanisms to protect our election system from foreign interference, is just one of the many bills resting in McConnell’s “legislative graveyard.” LDF insists that Senator McConnell advance the SHIELD Act, along with the myriad of other bills focused on election security that are languishing on his desk. Moving forward with controversial judicial nominations while refusing to take action on these bills, especially ahead of the November election, is a disservice to the American people and a threat to the integrity of our elections.

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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. LDF 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.

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