This morning, Senate Judiciary Democrats rubber stamped a number of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees, including Nancy Abudu, whose nomination to the Eleventh Circuit RNLA formally opposes. Of particular importance to RNLA, Abudu has a history of extremist views on election law issues:
Comparing the opposition to enfranchisement of convicted murders, rapists, and child molesters to supporting slavery is offensive to all but the most partisan activists.
In the same vein, Ms. Abudu has asserted that commonsense election reforms amount to voter suppression. In a 2011 interview, Ms. Abudu told Charleston’s Post and Courier that fighting “photo ID” and “proof of citizenship” requirements were priority areas for combatting voter suppression. She further emphasized her belief that “passing laws requiring voters to have photo IDs” was her biggest concern regarding voter suppression. Even leading progressive voting rights advocate Stacey Abrahams has announced her support of voter ID, as has House Majority Whip James Clyburn.
In 2020, Ms. Abudu likened senators who opposed Democrat-backed voting rights legislation and supported the use of the filibuster to “pro-Jim Crow senators of the past.”
In a 2021 op-ed for the Montgomery Advertiser, Ms. Abudu accused Alabama state officials of being “distressingly committed to the state’s legacy of voter suppression.” As Alabama Secretary of State John H. Merrill explained in response, the opposite is true. Alabama has recently experienced record voter turnout and registration numbers in recent years.
Senators Mike Lee and Ted Cruz spoke in opposition to the nomination, highlighting Abudu's record of views that fall outside of the mainstream.
Sen. Ted Cruz blasts Biden nominee Nancy Abudu who was the Deputy Legal Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization that labeled mainstream conservative groups, hate groups. pic.twitter.com/k2atfyDC0B
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 9, 2023
Thank you to Senators Lee, Cruz, and the rest of the Republican members of the Committee for voting "no" on Nancy Abudu's nomination to the Eleventh Circuit.
Thank you @SenMikeLee and @SenTedCruz for speaking against the nomination of Nancy Abudu to the Eleventh Circuit, and thank you to the rest of the Republican members of the Judiciary Committee for joining them in voting "no" on the nomination.
— RNLA ⚖️ (@TheRepLawyer) February 9, 2023
RNLA will continue to oppose the nomination as it moves to the Senate floor.
Some other concerning nominations moving to the Senate floor after today's meeting include:
- Nusrat Jahan Choudhury, Eastern District of New York
- Dale Ho, Southern District of New York
- Natasha Merle, Eastern District of New York
- Julie Rikelman, First Circuit
So many nominees were voted on today that the most radical of the bunch will likely float under the radar, but the American people deserve to know that Senate Democrats are pushing through some of the most unqualified and radical judicial nominees ever to come before the Senate.
Sen. Ted Cruz: "Part of the reason the Democrat majority is trying to move 29 nominees in one morning is to flood the zone with so many bad nominees that nobody can focus on how utterly unqualified these nominees are to be judges." pic.twitter.com/MViO0GGHRp
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 9, 2023