FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2018

CONTACT: [email protected]

100+ ADVOCACY GROUPS TELL GRASSLEY: NO HEARING DATE FOR SUPREME COURT PICK KAVANAUGH UNTIL 1M+ PAGES OF RECORDS ARE RELEASED

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On Friday, Demand Justice, joined by more than 100 advocacy organizations, sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein urging that Chairman Grassley not schedule a confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh until the more than 1 million pages of records from his years as a political lawyer in the George W. Bush White House are turned over to the Senate.

In order for the Senate to thoroughly conduct a full and fair review of Kavanaugh’s nomination, senators must be given access to approximately 429,870 pages and 667,824 electronic files of potentially responsive records that could shed light on Kavanaugh’s role in shaping key Bush administration policies, ranging from abortion to national security.

Just yesterday, the Senate refused to confirm Trump nominee Ryan Bounds to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit due to concerns over Bounds’ deeply troubling, past writings. This underscores the importance of the Senate having access to all of a nominee’s records.

Today’s letter also highlights the bipartisan calls––including from Senator Grassley himself––for the release of 170,000 pages of responsive records prior to the consideration of Elena Kagan’s Supreme Court nomination. The letter emphasizes that the Senate’s constitutional responsibility to advise and consent remains the same for the consideration of Kavanaugh’s nomination and that this duty cannot be met until the Senate has been given access to every single page of every record that it is entitled to see.

Signatories on the letter:

Action NC

Advocates for Youth

Alliance for Justice

American Association of University Women

American Civil Liberties Union

American Constitution Society

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

American Federation of Teachers

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)

Americans United for Separation of Church & State

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Battle Born Progress (NV)

Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Blue Future

Center for American Progress

Center for Biological Diversity

Center for Reproductive Rights

Change Begins With Me (Indivisible San Diego District 52)

CHOICES. Memphis Center for Reproductive Health

Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley (NY)

Citizen Action/Illinois

Communications Workers of America (CWA)

Connecticut Citizen Action Group

Constitutional Accountability Center

CREDO Action

Daily Kos

Demand Justice

End Citizens United

Equal Rights Advocates

Equality California

Every Voice

Faith in Indiana

Faith in Public Life

Family Equality Council

Freedom for All Americans

Gender Justice

Generation Progress

Health Care for America Now

Healthy and Free Tennessee

Herd on the Hill

Human Rights Campaign

Human Rights Watch

Indivisible Acton (MA)

Indivisible CA-33

Indivisible Carbondale (IL)

Indivisible Elk Grove Township (IL)

Indivisible Evanston (IL)

Indivisible Illinois

Indivisible Metro East (IL)

Indivisible Norman (OK)

Indivisible South Suburban Chicago

Indivisible Western Springs (IL)

Iowa Citizen Action Network

Iowa Main Street Alliance

Jobs With Justice

Joint Action Committee

Lambda Legal

League of Conservation Voters

Maine Women’s Lobby

Mainers for Accountable Leadership

MomsRising

Muslim Advocates

NARAL Pro-Choice America

National Action Network

National Center for Lesbian Rights

National Center for Transgender Equality

National Council of Jewish Women

National Education Association

National Employment Law Project

National Employment Lawyers Association

National Equality Action Team (NEAT)

National Health Law Program

National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH)

National Partnership for Women & Families

National Resources Defense Council

National Women’s Law Center

New Jersey Citizen Action

Organize Florida

Orinda Progressive Action Alliance (CA)

People For the American Way

Postcards for America – MN

Progress Iowa

Progress Virginia

Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Progressive Indivisible Berwyn (IL)

Progressive Turnout Project

ProgressOhio

Protect Our Care

Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

Sierra Club

Stand Up America

States United to Prevent Gun Violence

Strong Economy For All Coalition (NY)

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

The Washington Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

TIME’S UP

Toledoans United for Social Change (OH)

United Vision for Idaho

Universal Health Care Action Network

Violence Policy Center

Voices for Progress

Working America North Carolina

WV Citizen Action Group

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