Washington, D.C. — Following today’s 51-50 Senate vote to advance the nomination of Thomas Farr for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Jake Faleschini, director of the Federal Courts Program at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
The Senate just took another step toward confirming to the federal bench a man who spent his legal career defending laws designed to suppress African American voters in North Carolina. But it’s not too late for key lawmakers to reject a nominee opposed by nearly every civil liberties and civil rights group in the country. Today’s vote was the first time in history that a vice president has had to break a tie for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. It is nearly inconceivable that Senate Republicans would bend the bar so low to put a person with such a reprehensible record on the federal bench.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.