Thursday, January 18, 2018

ACTION: PROTECT OUR COURTS

From Indivisible Oregon...

**CALL TO ACTION**
Thursday, January 18, 2018
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PROTECT OUR COURTS FROM EXTREMIST JUDGES
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#ProtectOurCourts

Outside of nuclear war with North Korea, Trump’s extreme right-wing judicial appointments most threaten America’s future as functioning democracy. Last year, GOP leadership pushed through 1 Supreme Court Justice, 18 appellate and 6 district court judges—by radically changing longstanding confirmation process
• the Federalist Society, not home-state senators, choose nominees
• ABA recommendations neither sought nor followed—even if rated “Not Qualified”
• ignored “blue slip” tradition (allowing home-state senators to veto nominees)
• rushed and inadequate hearings with multiple candidates, which preclude proper evaluation

This tsunami may be slowing:
• withdrawal of 3 especially incompetent nominees exposed cursory/nonexistent vetting
• 27 candidates were sent back at the end of 2017; if re-nominated, they must go through committee again
• Doug Jones’ election gives Dems an additional Judiciary committee seat = better chance to stop controversial nominees in committee

Our Senators must promise to use all available weapons to preserve federal courts’ integrity:
• non-return of blue slips
• fully investigate nominees’ positions by limiting the number considered together
• convince Judiciary members to boycott hearings until the process is reformed
• demand cloture votes and adherence to Senate’s procedural rules
• bring Senate business to halt for all but mainstream nominees

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**ACTION 1: CALL YOUR SENATOR**
(if you can’t call during business hours, leave a voice mail! It all makes a difference!)**

SAMPLE SCRIPT
“My name is [--] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code]. I am very concerned about the extremist judicial nominees Trump has been sending to the Senate. I appreciate the Senator speaking out and refusing to return blue slips but he needs to do more. Our Senator must use all tools available—including boycotting Judiciary Committee hearings to prevent quorum, working to reform the Committee process, and bringing Senate business to a halt—until Trump agrees to send nominees with bipartisan credentials. Thank you.”
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**ACTION 2: SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY**
Share this post with friends and family. Help them call their Senators to explain the seriousness of this assault on the federal judiciary and to ask for a promise to use all weapons available to block Trump’s ultra conservative judicial nominees, until Trump agrees to send judges with bipartisan credentials.
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**PHONE NUMBERS**

SENATOR MERKLEY
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129

SENATOR WYDEN
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 960-7691

** After you call, please comment below and briefly share your experience!**