Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines, 11-9, to report the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General to the Senate floor despite the fact that he has been a lifelong opponent of civil rights and lacks the independence essential to the role of Attorney General. The full Senate must reject this nomination. No senator who believes in the rule of law can vote for his confirmation in good faith. Senator Sessions’ hearing testimony and written answers reaffirmed that he continues to misrepresent his civil rights record, displays ignorance of critical civil rights issues including voting rights laws, displays a one-sided view of religious freedom, and can offer no assurance that he would protect the rights of LGBT Americans or women. Furthermore, Senator Sessions should be questioned further about his role in advising President Trump on his recent executive order that targets Muslim refugees and gives preferential treatment to Christians, as the action is of doubtful constitutionality and raises doubts about his own ability to impartially adhere to the rule of law.
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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.
