For Immediate Release: June 7, 2018
Contact: [email protected]
After the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to advance the nominations of Donald Trump’s latest anti-choice judicial nominees J. Campbell Barker to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and Ryan Bounds for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, NARAL Pro-Choice America National Communications Director Kaylie Hanson Long issued the following statement:
“From forcing members to hold an unusual Senate session this summer, to now breaking with Congressional norms and ignoring the opposition of both of Bounds’ home-state Senators, Mitch McConnell and the anti-choice GOP in Congress will stop at nothing to push through as many of Donald Trump’s dangerous anti-choice nominees as possible. Up for lifetime appointments, these nominees will use the judiciary to carry out Trump’s backwards agenda for decades to come at the expense of women and families. Judges have a responsibility to uphold our essential constitutional rights, yet Bounds’ and Barker’s anti-choice records suggest they will not.”
Breaking with Congressional norms, Bounds’ nomination is unprecedented, since he is opposed by both of his home-state Senators and missing both blue slips. Bounds wrote numerous concerning articles for his college newspaper, including pieces about lighter punishments for sexual assault on college campuses and his dislike of efforts to improve diversity. Bounds serves as the President of the Portland chapter of the anti-choice, conservative Federalist Society.
J Campbell Barker defended Texas’ egregious Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers (TRAP) law in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedtbefore the Supreme Court. He also signed a brief on behalf of the state of Texas in Zubik v. Burwellchallenging the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive-coverage policy.