NOW Challenges Opponent of Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination Laws

Statement of NOW President Kim Gandy

April 28, 2003

While the Senate is distracted with the extended debate on the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the D.C. Circuit, Senate Republicans are trying to slip through the deplorable nomination of Jeffrey Sutton to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals without thoughtful debate.

The Republican campaign to pack the appellate courts with conservative ideologues continues with the Judiciary Committee's approval of Jeffrey Sutton's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit after only a cursory examination of his record and ideology. Every Democrat on the committee, with the notable exception of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, voted to oppose the confirmation of this new "poster boy" for the right-wing ideology of federalism.

Proponents of "federalism," or "states' rights," work to limit the power of Congress to require compliance with federal civil rights laws and protections. Sutton's record shows him to be a leader in advocating this ideology. In fact, as a practicing attorney, Sutton personally argued before the Supreme Court in cases that have severely limited protection against discrimination based on disability, race, age and religion. As an officer of the Federalist Society, he has advocated significant restrictions on congressional authority to protect individual rights and praised arch-conservative Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Sutton's enthusiastic activities on behalf of states' rights and his disturbing efforts to limit civil rights have resulted in more than 70 national civil rights groups and 375 state and local organizations opposing his confirmation. His work to undermine the Americans with Disabilities Act has most notably spurred the disability rights community to unprecedented activism against the nomination. His work to limit the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, cut back the Violence Against Women Act, and limit protections against race discrimination demonstrate his zeal to promote his right-wing ideology.

NOW is determined to fight the onslaught of right-wing federal court nominees and urges the Senate to reject the nomination of Jeffrey Sutton to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

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