Demand Justice Launches Six-Figure Ad Campaign Calling on Durbin to Step Up Pace of Processing Judicial Nominations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2022

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Demand Justice calls on Durbin to schedule Judiciary Committee hearings in August in order to confirm backlog of Biden nominees

WASHINGTON, DC— On Monday, Demand Justice and Indivisible Chicago Alliance launched a six-figure ad campaign calling on Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin to pick up the pace of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in order to fill more of the 120 announced judicial vacancies before the end of this Congress. The groups called on Durbin to immediately announce he will hold hearings during the scheduled Senate recess in August to consider President Biden’s latest judicial nominees.

The digital ad campaign will target constituents in Durbin’s home state of Illinois. An example of the ad can be seen below.

Demand Justice Chief Counsel Christopher Kang said: “The right-wing hijacking of the judiciary has plunged our country into a crisis, and we need Chairman Durbin to act with the urgency needed to fill all vacancies with Biden judges this Congress. There is no doubt Republicans will refuse to confirm Biden judges if they take power next Congress, so Democrats must fill all vacancies while they have the ability, with Chairman Durbin promptly announcing he will hold hearings to process Biden’s nominees in August.”

“Even though Senator Durbin’s leadership has led to approval of more judges and better-qualified judges, Democrats aren’t meeting the moment,” said Indivisible Chicago Alliance Board Chair Kathy Tholin. “To seat the most judges possible, we’re calling for more hearings—even if that means less recess. These extraordinary times demand it.”

If Durbin does not hold hearings during the Senate recess–something Republicans did for Trump’s judicial nominees in 2018–there will be a bottleneck, and Biden will be prevented from filling additional seats.

Previously, Demand Justice joined with more than 30 progressive organizations calling on Durbin and President Biden to fill all existing judicial vacancies with Biden judges by the end of this Congress. In a separate memo, Demand Justice Chief Counsel Christopher Kang outlined specific reforms needed for the Senate Judiciary Committee to prevent more than 60 judgeships going unfilled.

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