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The Senate Must Stop Confirming President Bush's Controversial Nominees
The Issue At Hand
Given the damage already done to the courts because of the President's partisan engineering, the Senate must refuse to confirm any more controversial nominees and should not grant “swift decisions” (as President Bush would like) when it comes to life-long appointments that impact constitutional rights. In fact, the Senate should refuse to process all controversial nominations at this late stage of the Bush presidency – especially nominees such as Richard Honaker and Gene Pratter.
Call your senators today at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to reject the nominations of Richard Honaker and Gene Pratter and stand firm against President Bush's attempt to further pack our courts with highly controversial judges!
Honaker’s Record
The Senate recently held a hearing on the controversial nomination of attorney Richard Honaker to a lifetime position on the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming. Honaker is one of many controversial nominees who threaten to weaken established constitutional rights and civil rights protections for ordinary Americans. In fact, Honaker’s writings indicate that as a judge he would likely privilege his own moral and religious views over the precedents of our federal courts. Honaker’s record casts serious doubt on his ability to fairly apply our laws and precedents, and his nomination should be rejected.
Pratter’s Record
In her short tenure as a Pennsylvania district court judge, Gene Pratter has exhibited a willingness to prematurely dismiss the claims of civil rights plaintiffs, inhibit advocacy by their counsel, and thus deny plaintiffs access to a full and fair legal process. Yet President Bush has nominated Pratter to a lifetime position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit – the federal court with appellate jurisdiction over PA, NJ and DE. The senate should not move forward with her nomination.
What’s At Stake
As a result of the President’s relentlessness and the Senate’s previous willingness to confirm ideologically-driven judges, ultraconservative judges are becoming increasingly dominant on the courts. Especially in these highly politicized times, the Senate should not be bullied into approving controversial nominations that will undermine the fairness and stability of our judiciary and potentially put civil rights rulings at risk.
Call your senators at (202) 224-3121 and urge them to reject the nominations of Richard Honaker and Gene Pratter and stand firm against President Bush's attempt to further pack our courts with highly controversial judges!
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