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On the Nomination of Judge Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court

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March 16, 2016
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Judge Merrick Garland

President Obama today nominated Merrick Garland, Chief Judge of the D.C. Circuit, to the U.S. Supreme Court. We call upon members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to fulfill their constitutional duty and ensure Judge Garland is given a complete and timely review.

We encourage them to ask comprehensive and probing questions to evaluate Judge Garland’s ability to be a fair and impartial member of our highest court rather than rejecting his nomination out-of-hand in partisan fashion, without even a hearing.

Tell U.S. Senators: Do Your Job!

Despite the recent Supreme Court victory that made marriage equally available to same-sex couples throughout the United States, numerous issues that are critically important to the LGBT community are likely to come before the Court again soon. These include the constitutionality of sweeping, ardently anti-LGBT laws masquerading as religious freedom protections; the legality of anti-transgender policies designed to bar equal access to public spaces; the protection federal employment discrimination laws provide to LGBT workers; and the constitutionality of harsh and discriminatory HIV criminalization laws.

Lambda Legal often appears before the Supreme Court and we are acutely aware of how important it is that its justices be committed to our Constitution’s guarantees of equality, justice and fairness for all and that the Court not face tie votes that fail to resolve open issues nationally.

Read the blog post: After Scalia

We hope that the progress we have spent decades fighting for will continue once the vacancy is filled. We again demand that the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee meet their constitutional obligation and promptly move forward with the confirmation process. Recent polling shows that two-thirds of all Americans believe hearings should occur.

All Americans, not just a select few, need justices who will uphold the Constitution and ensure that its guiding principles are applied equally to protect everyone in our nation.