Tag Archive for: ProtectOurCourts

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PROTECT OUR COURTS FROM EXTREMIST JUDGES

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#ProtectOurCourts

Outside of nuclear war with North Korea, Trump’s extreme right-wing judicial appointments most threaten America’s future as a functioning democracy. Last year, GOP leadership pushed through 1 Supreme Court Justice, 18 appellate and 6 district court judges—by radically changing the longstanding confirmation process:

• the Federalist Society, not home-state senators, chose nominees
• ABA recommendations were neither sought nor followed—even if rated “Not Qualified”
• ignored the “blue slip” tradition (allowing home-state senators to veto nominees)
• rushed and inadequate hearings with multiple candidates, precluding proper evaluation
http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/15/politics/trump-judges-nominees/index.html

This tsunami may be slowing:

• withdrawal of 3 especially incompetent nominees exposed cursory/nonexistent vetting
• 27 candidates were sent back at the end of 2017; if re-nominated, they must go through committee again
• Doug Jones’ election give Dems an additional Judiciary committee seat = a better chance to stop controversial nominees in committee

Our Senators must promise to use all available weapons to preserve federal courts’ integrity:

• non-return of those who received blue slips
• fully investigate nominees’ positions by limiting the number of nominees to be considered together
• convince Judiciary members to boycott hearings until the process is reformed
• demand cloture votes and adherence to Senate’s procedural rules
• bring Senate business to a halt for all but mainstream nominees

Stop Confirming Unfit Federal Judges!

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**ACTION 1: Call our Senators** 
(if you can’t call during business hours, leave a voice mail! It all makes a difference!)

SAMPLE SCRIPT:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am very concerned about the extremist judicial nominees Trump has been sending to the Senate. I appreciate the Senator speaking out and refusing to return blue slips, but he needs to do more. Our Senators must use all tools available—including boycotting Judiciary Committee hearings to prevent a quorum, working to reform the Committee process, and bringing Senate business to a halt—until Trump agrees to send nominees with bipartisan credentials. Thank you.”

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**ACTION 2: Share with Friends and Family**

Share this post with friends and family. Help them call their Senators to explain the seriousness of this assault on the federal judiciary and to ask for a promise to use all weapons available to block Trump’s ultra conservative judicial nominees.

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SENATOR MERKLEY 
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/

SENATOR WYDEN 
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691
https://www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/