ACLU Statement on Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to Supreme Court

NEW YORK — American Civil Liberties Union Legal Director David Cole issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court:

“Brett Kavanaugh may bring the requisite experience, but given Donald Trump’s promise to overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision that recognized the right to an abortion, and efforts to reverse progress on civil rights and civil liberties, that’s not enough. It’s incumbent on Congress to determine whether Kavanaugh's legal views are compatible with the powerful role he will play for generations.

If confirmed, Kavanaugh could very well be the decisive vote Trump needs in the Supreme Court to give his concerted campaign to undermine civil liberties and civil rights long-term impact. And in light of President Trump’s promise to appoint justices who would overturn Roe, this nomination could jeopardize the right to an abortion millions of women and families have relied on for more than four decades.

“Justice Kennedy kept the court in the mainstream by having an open mind and a commitment to an evolving Constitution. Senators should ask Kavanaugh whether he agrees that constitutional law evolves with the times, as it did in recognizing that segregation is unconstitutional, that sex discrimination violates the Equal Protection Clause, and that marriage equality is constitutionally guaranteed.”

As a matter of organizational policy, the ACLU does not oppose or support presidential nominees.