WASHINGTON – Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after the Senate advanced the nomination of Thomas Farr to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina:

“Advancing Farr’s nomination is a disgrace and senators who support him should be ashamed. Farr’s history of restricting voting rights, defending employment discrimination, and backing white supremacists disqualify him from a lifetime seat on the federal bench. Yet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues his attack on civil and human rights by ushering in another Trump loyalist, seeking to further undermine the impartiality of our federal courts. The fact that Vice President Pence had to break a tie indicates the extreme measures to which McConnell must go to push this controversial nominee forward.

“This is a battle for the soul of our nation. Our senators must place country over party and protect civil and human rights for all by rejecting Farr’s nomination.”

The Leadership Conference sent a letter to the Senate in opposition to Thomas Farr.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.