Rao Vote Shows GOP Desperation to Ram Through Extreme Nominees

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 28, 2019 – Following today’s party-line vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee to advance the nomination of Neomi Rao for the D.C. Circuit Court, AFJ President Nan Aron released the following statement:

“The friction that was evident at today’s committee vote on Neomi Rao shows a Republican party desperate to rack up as many extreme-right judicial confirmations as possible, to counteract President Trump’s epic failures on policy. Today we saw Republican senators complaining publicly about being strong-armed by higher-ups in their own party, as well as right-wing interest groups, who want them to hurry up and rubber-stamp Neomi Rao’s nomination as well as President Trump’s other judicial nominations. In the end they all folded and voted to support Rao, a nominee with abhorrent statements about sexual assault and race and a record of working to undermine health and safety protections, who is now another step closer to a lifetime seat on the federal bench. None of these developments will be good for our country.”